


Episode I - The Phantom Menace

by CirelondielWildstar



Series: Star Warriors Saga [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: All Characters Are Cats, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Even Droids, battles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 67,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23623312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CirelondielWildstar/pseuds/CirelondielWildstar
Summary: *This is a retelling of the popular "Star Wars" franchise as "Warrior Cats"-style stories*Turmoil has engulfed the Clans of the Great Gathering.  The regulation of travel and hunting between territories is in dispute.Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade, the greedy cats of FieldClan have stopped all travel to and from the peaceful territory of ForestClan.While the Tribe of Gathering endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Tribe's leader, Lionstar, has secretly dispatched two LightClan warriors, the guardians of peace and justice, to settle the conflict.....
Series: Star Warriors Saga [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700470
Comments: 32
Kudos: 23





	1. List of Allegiances

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is my first time, quick request for the brave souls reading this fic: If you'd like for me to indicate which cat character is which "Star Wars" character, please let me know in the comments. I would greatly appreciate it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought this might be useful for you guys. The original Star Wars version of the character is in brackets next to the fanfic description of the character. (This may be adjusted slightly as I go if I find a character I missed the first time I read through the original novelization. Fair warning.)

TRIBE OF GATHERING

Leader **Lionstar** – light brown tabby tom with grey eyes and white chest-fur _[Finis Valorum – Supreme Chancellor]_

Deputy **Loudear** – blue tabby tom with brown eyes and large ears _[Mas Amedda – Senate Vice Chair]_

Medicine Cat **Slyfoot** – black and white tom with grey eyes _[Sly Moore – Aide]_

Den-Guards **Antheart** – black and white tom with brown eyes _[Antidar Williams – Republic Pilot]_

**Brightleap** – brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes and white paws _[Maoi Madakor – Republic Pilot]_

DARKCLAN

Leader **Darkshadow** – shadowy, unknown tom _[Darth Sidious – Sith Lord]_

Apprentice, **Darkmaul** – dark red tabby tom with yellow eyes and long black ear tufts _[Darth Maul – Sith Apprentice]_

LIGHTCLAN

Leader **Lightstar** – small grey tabby tom with green eyes _[Yoda – Jedi Master]_

Deputy **Violetlight** – dark brown tom with hazel eyes _[Mace Windu – Jedi Master]_

Apprentice, **Echopaw** – grey tabby tom with green eyes _[Echuu Shen-Jon – Jedi Padawan]_

Medicine Cat **Glowlight** – small, long-furred yellow and white she-cat with blue eyes _[Jocasta Nu – Jedi Master]_

Council Cats **Deeplight** – dark tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes _[Depa Billaba – Jedi Master]_

**Eellight** – dark grey tom with blue eyes and white hind paws _[Eeth Koth – Jedi Master]_

**Palelight** – tall white tom with green eyes _[Ki-Adi-Mundi – Jedi Master]_

**Raccoonlight** – brown and white tom with hazel eyes _[Plo Koon – Jedi Master]_

**Tinlight** – grey tom with green eyes _[Saesee Tiin – Jedi Master]_

**Yaklight** – short, long-furred grey she-cat with green eyes _[Yaddle – Jedi Master]_

Apprentice, **Mosspaw** – grey tabby tom with blue eyes and white tail-tip _[Joclad Danva – Jedi Padawan]_

**Slatelight** – grey and white tom with hazel eyes _[Even Piell – Jedi Master]_

**Corallight** – brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes _[Adi Gallia – Jedi Master]_

**Talllight** – brown she-cat with hazel eyes and long legs _[Yarael Poof – Jedi Master]_

**Frostlight** – silver-grey tabby tom with grey eyes _[Oppo Rancisis – Jedi Master]_

Sages **Longlight** – golden tabby tom with blue eyes _[Cin Drallig – Jedi Master]_

**Moonlight** – tall black and white tom with blue eyes _[Qui-Gon Jinn – Jedi Master]_

Apprentice, **Sunpaw** – light brown tom with blue eyes and white left forepaw _[Obi-Wan Kenobi – Jedi Padawan]_

**Volelight** – light brown tom with green eyes _[Coleman Trebor – Jedi Master]_

**Serpentlight** – silver-grey she-cat with green eyes _[Luminara Unduli – Jedi Master]_

**Coallight** – dark grey tabby tom with copper eyes and white chest _[Coleman Kcaj – Jedi Master]_

**Maplelight** – brown and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes _[Shaak Ti – Jedi Master]_

**Sliplight** – white tom with brown eyes _[Eno Cordova – Jedi Master]_

Apprentice, **Mantispaw** – dark brown tabby she-cat with brown eyes _[Cere Junda – Jedi Padawan]_

Warriors **Yellowfoot** – yellow tabby tom with green eyes and white paws and chest-fur _[Pablo-Jill – Jedi Knight]_

**Shortwing** – calico she-cat with green eyes _[Sar Labooda – Jedi Knight]_

**Brownthorn** – brown tabby tom with hazel eyes _[Agen Kolar – Jedi Knight]_

**Streamfur** – blue and white tom with dark brown eyes _[Kit Fisto – Jedi Knight]_

**Steadystep** – grey tabby tom with green eyes and white paws _[Jaro Topal – Jedi Knight]_

**Alderpelt** – brown tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes _[Stass Allie – Jedi Master]_

**Quietstep** – pale brown tabby tom with dark green eyes _[Quinlan Vos – Jedi Knight]_

Apprentice, **Bluepaw** – blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes _[Aayla Secura – Jedi Padawan]_

Younglings **Bearkit** – yellow she-cat with blue eyes _[Barriss Offee – Jedi Padawan]_

**Leafkit** – grey tom with brown eyes _[Stam Reath – Jedi Youngling]_

**Gnatkit** – grey she-cat with hazel eyes _[Naat Reath – Jedi Youngling]_

FIELDCLAN

Leader **Newtstar** – grey and white tabby tom with amber eyes _[Nute Gunray – Trade Federation Viceroy]_

Deputy **Hawkfur** – brown tabby tom with amber eyes and ripped right ear _[Rune Haako – Trade Federation Second]_

Medicine Cat **Finclaw** – black tom with green eyes and white paws and tail-tip _[Daultay Dofine – Trade Federation Captain]_

Mediator **Divepad** – dark grey tabby tom with green eyes and white right hind-paw _[Lott Dod – Trade Federation Senator]_

Warriors **Loudclaw** – silver-grey she-cat with grey eyes _[Tey How – Trade Federation Officer]_

**Greyfur** – light grey she-cat with amber eyes _[TC-14 – Trade Federation Protocol Droid]_

**Slenderleg** – yellow tabby tom with grey eyes _[OOM-9 – Trade Federation Droid Commander]_

FORESTCLAN

Leader **Forestspeaker** – white she-cat with warm brown eyes _[Padme Naberrie Amidala – Queen of Naboo]_

Medicine Cat **Bubblenose** – grey tabby tom with amber eyes _[Sio Bibble – Governor of Naboo]_

Mediator **Foxfur** – ginger tom with white paws and blue eyes _[Sheev Palpatine – Naboo Senator]_

Warriors **Vinetail** – cream she-cat with hazel eyes _[Corde – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Mousemist** – silver she-cat with brown eyes and white paws _[Dorme – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Tallear** – grey and white she-cat with grey eyes _[Eirtae – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Dimfur** – black and white she-cat with green eyes _[Dinee Ellberger – Naboo Pilot]_

**Breezefoot** – white long-furred she-cat with green eyes _[Elle – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Owlwing** – light brown tabby tom with hazel eyes and white paws _[Ric Olie – Naboo Pilot]_

Apprentice, **Bluepaw** – blue and white tabby tom with amber eyes _[R2-D2 – Naboo Astromech Droid]_

**Brownmoss** – dark brown tom with brown eyes _[Quarsh Panaka – Naboo Guard Captain]_

Apprentice, **Jaypaw** – black tom with brown eyes and white forepaws _[Gregar Typho – Naboo Guard]_

**Silverfoot** – silver she-cat with blue eyes _[Rabe – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Brightbreeze** – white she-cat with brown eyes _[Sabe – Handmaiden/Decoy of Padme]_

**Coppertail** – light grey she-cat with amber eyes _[Sache – Handmaiden of Padme]_

**Slipflight** – ginger and white tabby tom with grey eyes _[Gavyn Sykes – Naboo Lieutenant]_

**Flowerfoot** – silver tabby she-cat with green eyes _[Jamillia – Resident of Naboo]_

**Jewelstep** – white she-cat with green eyes _[Jobal Naberrie – Mother of Padme]_

**Tumblefrost** – grey tom with blue eyes _[Ruwee Naberrie – Father of Padme]_

**Sunbranch** – silver-grey she-cat with green eyes _[Sola Naberrie – Sister of Padme]_

**Wrenfoot** – brown tabby tom with brown eyes _[Darred Janren Naberrie – Husband of Sola]_

**Palestep** – yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes and white paws and chest _[Apailana – Resident of Naboo]_

**Bronzefur** – golden tabby she-cat with hazel eyes _[R4-G9 – Droid of Obi-Wan]_

**Goldenfoot** – yellow and white tom with amber eyes _[G8-R3 – Naboo Astromech Droid]_

**Redstripe** – red tabby tom with amber eyes _[R2-R9 – Naboo Astromech Droid]_

Apprentice, **Robinpaw** – red and white she-cat with grey eyes _[R2-D1 – Naboo Astromech Droid]_

**Waspcloud** – blue she-cat with grey eyes with white paws _[R2-B1 – Naboo Astromech Droid]_

Queens **Redspot** – ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Rosekit) _[R4-P17 – Droid of Obi-Wan]_

Kits **Rosekit** – light ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes and white chest _[R2-KT – Republic Astromech Droid]_

TRIBE OF DEEP WATERS

Leader **Mud Where Toads Gather** – large brown tabby tom with brown eyes and white throat and paws _[Boss Rugor Nass – Gungan Leader]_

Warriors **Black Tar From Pits** – light brown and white tom with blue eyes _[Roos Tarpais – Gungan Captain]_

DESERTCLAN

Leader **Jab** – long-furred brown and white tom with amber eyes _[Jabba the Hutt – Hutt Crime Boss]_

Deputy **Lucky** – tan tom with green eyes and patched fur _[Bib Fortuna – Jabba Majordomo]_

Warriors **Boar** – long-furred grey tom with dark brown eyes _[Borvo the Hutt – Hutt Smuggler]_

**Growl** – long-furred brown she-cat with amber eyes _[Gardulla the Hutt – Hutt Crime Lady]_

LAKECLAN

Mediator **Frosttail** – light grey tabby tom with green eyes and white tail-tip _[Orn Free Taa – Ryloth Senator]_

MOUNTAINCLAN

Leader **Flurrystar** – silver she-cat with grey eyes _[Breha Organa – Queen of Alderaan]_

Mediator **Bearfrost** – brown tom with grey eyes _[Bail Antilles – Alderaan Senator]_

Apprentice, **Balefur** – golden tabby tom with brown eyes and white paws _[Bail Organa – Alderaan Senator]_

CANYONCLAN

Mediator **Longeye** – tan tom with hazel eyes _[Aks Moe – Malastare Senator]_

CATS OUTSIDE OF CLANS

Serf Cats **Stalk** – light brown and white she-cat with blue eyes (mother to Gold & Sky) _[Shmi Skywalker – Slave of Watto/Mother of Anakin]_

**Boulder** – black and white tom with brown eyes (kit) _[Kitser Banai – Best Friend of Anakin]_

**Gold** – yellow tom with amber eyes (kit) _[C-3PO – Skywalker Protocol Droid]_

**Sand** – cream she-cat with hazel eyes (kit) _[Amee – Friend of Anakin]_

**Sky** – light brown tom with blue eyes and white paws (kit) _[Anakin Skywalker – Slave of Watto/Podracer]_

**Worm** – grey tabby tom with green eyes (kit) _[Wald – Slave of Watto]_

**Seek** – dark grey tom with blue eyes and white tail-tip (kit) _[Seek – Friend of Anakin]_

Loners **Frog That Leaps From Stone** – ginger tabby tom with large green eyes _[Jar Jar Binks – Gungan]_

**Rat** – grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes _[Ratts Tyerell – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Four** – light brown tabby tom with blue eyes and white paws _[Ben Quadinaros – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Teeth** – calico she-cat with light green eyes and long fangs _[Teemto Pagalies – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Maw** – grey she-cat with green eyes _[Mawhonic – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Mandrill** – dark brown and white tom with amber eyes _[Ody Mandrell – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Jira** – old tortoiseshell she-cat with grey eyes and white forepaws _[Jira – Elderly friend of Anakin]_

**Holdfast** – black tabby tom with green eyes and white left foreleg _[Clegg Holdfast – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Mud** – dark brown tabby tom with grey eyes _[Mars Guo - Tattooine Podracer]_

**Gas** – grey tabby tom with bright green eyes _[Gasgano – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Ebb** – blue-grey tabby tom with dark blue eyes _[Ebe E. Endocott – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Bolt** – yellow and white tom with amber eyes _[Dud Bolt – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Dare** – blue-grey tom with brown eyes and a very long tail _[Watto the Toydarian – Slaveowner]_

**Weasel** – grey tom with amber eyes _[Wan Sandage – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Pod** – dark grey and white tom with one brown eye and one green eye _[Fodesinbeed Annodue – Pod Race Commentator]_

Rogues **Singe** – black she-cat with amber eyes and stunted tail _[Aurra Sing – Bounty Hunter]_

**Bulb** – brown and white tom with dark brown eyes and scarred left shoulder _[Sebulba – Tattooine Podracer/Rival of Anakin]_

**Roar** – light brown tom with green eyes _[Boles Roor – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Alder** – tall blue-grey tom with amber eyes _[Aldar Beedo - Tattooine Podracer]_

**Breeze** – black she-cat with blue eyes _[Xelbree – Tattooine Podracer]_

**Bog** – tan tom with blue eyes _[Bozzie Baranta – Tattooine Podracer]_


	2. Negotiations and Treachery

Dawn slowly began to make its way over the horizon beyond the vast forest. The red glow grew brighter as two groups of cats waited. One group sat quietly beneath a rocky overhang while the other huddled farther away, their heads together in quiet discussion.

Two in the silent, smaller group, a she-cat and a tom, occasionally glanced nervously at each other and at the pair behind them, hidden slightly within the shadows. 

“Brightleap.”

The brown tabby she-cat turned towards the tall tom behind her. “Yes?”

“Tell them we wish to cross immediately.”

She nodded, sharing a glance with her Tribemate, and approached the other cats. Reaching the unseen boundary line, she paused and lifted her tail to gain the others’ attention. “With all due respect,” she called, “the ambassadors for the Tribe of Gathering request to approach immediately.”

The other cats looked at each other. One of the cats, a light grey she-cat, hurried forward. “Yes, of course,” she meowed quickly, “We would be happy to welcome the ambassadors at their convenience. Happy to.”

Brightleap narrowed her eyes, then returned to the overhang. She glanced briefly at Antheart, then looked at the pair hidden slightly in the shadows. “They’ve agreed,” she informed them.

“We will proceed then,” Moonlight mewed.

The LightClan tom rose to his paws and shook the dust from his black and white fur. Moonlight was a tall, powerfully built tom with a lion-like ruff of longer fur about his shoulders. A green Force-Crystal was attached to his right foreleg with what looked like a thin vine made of a strange unbreakable material. The wrapped crystal was a secret known only to LightClan cats, adding to the air of mystery they held.

Moonlight’s sharp blue eyes fixed on the other cats as if assessing them. The Tribe’s laws regarding travel and hunting between Clan territories had been in dispute since their inception, but until now all that FieldClan had done in response was complain. The blockade of Green-Trees, the home of the ForestClan cats, was the first act of outright defiance, and while FieldClan was a large, powerful force its action here was atypical. FieldClan cats were usually peaceful. They lacked the aggression and backbone necessary to undertake a challenge to the Tribe of Gathering. Somehow, they had found that backbone. It bothered Moonlight that he could not explain how.

He moved gracefully behind the pair assigned as escort as they approached the other cats, still pondering. The blockade had been in effect now for almost a moon. The Tribe of Gathering and the Clans’ mediators continued to debate the action, searching for an amicable way to resolve the dispute. But no progress had been made, and at last the Tribe of Gathering’s leader had secretly informed LightClan that he had sent two of their cats to the ostensible initiators of the blockade, FieldClan, in an effort to resolve the matter more directly. It was a bold move. In theory, LightClan served the leader of the Tribe of Gathering, currently a tom called Lionstar, responding on his direction to life-threatening situations. But any interference in the internal politics of the Clans, particularly where a violent conflict between Clans was involved, required approval by the Clans’ mediators. Lionstar was skirting his authority in this case. At best, this was a covert action and would spark heated debate at the Great Gathering at a later time.

The LightClan sage muffled a sigh. While none of this was his concern, he couldn’t ignore the implications of what it meant if he failed. The cats of LightClan were peacemakers; that was the nature of their Clan and the dictate of their Code. For generations, they had served the Tribe of Gathering, a constant source of stability and order in a changing world. Founded so long ago that its origins had faded into legend, the Clan had only gradually become aware of the presence of the Force. Many, many seasons had been spent in its study, in contemplation of its meaning, in mastery of its power. Slowly the Clan had evolved, abandoning its practice of and belief in a life of isolated meditation in favor of a more outward-looking commitment to social responsibility. Understanding the Force sufficiently to master its power required more than private study. It required service to the greater cause and the implementation of a Code of laws that would guarantee equal justice for all. That battle was not yet won. It probably never would be. But the many cats of LightClan, spread across the many territories that existed, would not see it lost for lack of trying.

Moonlight turned slightly to his companion in this present mission as they waited to be addressed by the FieldClan patrol. “Are we to cross?” Sunpaw asked softly.

Moonlight dipped his head. “Newtstar will meet with us.”

He studied his apprentice for a moment. Sunpaw, nearly 24 moons old, was more than 60 moons younger and still learning his craft. Not a full warrior yet, he was close to being ready. Sunpaw was smaller than Moonlight, but slender and quick. Like his mentor, the light brown tom had a Force-Crystal, a blue one, bound to his right foreleg. 

Moonlight was looking towards the FieldClan cats when he spoke again. “Why Green Forest, do you think, my young apprentice? Why blockade this particular territory, when there are so many to choose from, most larger and more likely to feel the effects of such an action?”

Sunpaw said nothing. Green-Trees was indeed an odd choice for an action of this sort, a territory at the outer edge of the Gathered Territories, not particularly important in the scheme of things. ForestClan’s leader, the current Forestspeaker, was something of an unknown. She had only been leader for a couple of moons before the blockade had begun. She was young, but it was rumored she was prodigiously talented and extremely well trained. It was said she could hold her own with anyone in a debate. It was said she could be circumspect or bold when necessary, and was wise beyond her age.

The LightClan cats had been given a description of Forestspeaker before they left Gathering-Place. Forestspeaker cloaked herself with clay-dust that disguised her true fur color. She was a chameleon of sorts, shielding herself from other cats and finding companionship almost exclusively with a small group of warriors who were always with her.

Moonlight mulled the matter over a moment longer, then mewed to Sunpaw, “Come, let’s be off.”

They moved forward to greet the now-beckoning she-cat, who introduced herself as Greyfur. Leaving the rest of the patrol behind with their escorts, they followed her silently through the brush and into a large cave in one of the hills. It was clearly a recent creation rather than a natural part of the hill.

“I hope you both will be comfortable here,” Greyfur told them. “Our leader will be with you shortly.”

She turned and hurried away. Moonlight watched her until her tail vanished into the makeshift camp, then moved to join Sunpaw in looking out over the trees further down the hill opposite the camp.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Sunpaw mewed after a moment’s contemplation.

Moonlight shook his head. “I don’t sense anything.”

Sunpaw nodded. “It’s not about here, Mentor. It’s not about this mission. It’s something … elsewhere. Something elusive …”

The older tom touched his tail to the other’s shoulder. “Don’t center on your anxiety, Sunpaw. Keep your concentration on the here and now, where it belongs.”

“Lightstar says I should be mindful of the future –”

“But not at the expense of the present.” Moonlight waited until his apprentice was looking at him. “Be mindful of the Living Force, my young apprentice.”

To his credit, Sunpaw managed a faint purr. “Yes, Mentor.” He looked back out again, eyes distant. “How do you think Newtstar will deal with Lionstar’s demands?”

Moonlight flicked an ear. “These cats are cowards. They will not be hard to persuade. The negotiations will be short.”

On a ledge above the makeshift camp, the FieldClan leader Newtstar and his medicine cat, Finclaw, stood staring in shock at the cat they had sent to look after Lionstar’s ambassadors.

“What did you say?” Newtstar hissed furiously.

Greyfur was impervious to the look her leader gave her. “The ambassadors are LightClan cats. One of them is a sage. I’m quite certain of it.”

Finclaw, a flat-faced, restless sort, wheeled on his companion in dismay. “I knew it! They were sent to force a settlement! The game’s up! Blind me, we’re done for!”

Newtstar lifted his tail placatingly. “Stay calm! I’ll wager the Tribe is completely unaware of Lionstar’s moves in this matter. Go. Distract them while I contact Darkshadow.”

The medicine cat gaped at him. “Are you mouse-brained? I’m not going in there with two LightClan cats! Send Greyfur!”

He waved his tail hurriedly at Greyfur, who dipped her head and went out.

When the warrior was gone, Finclaw summoned Hawkfur, the Clan’s deputy, drew both cats to a closed-off section of his den where they wouldn’t be seen or heard by any other cat, and placed a paw on the clear stone he kept hidden there: FieldClan’s Starstone. After a few moments, the Starstone began to glow brightly. As the glow faded to a faint gleam, the ghostly image of a cat emerged, shadowed so that its features were distorted and hidden and its face couldn’t be recognized.

“What is it?” an impatient voice demanded.

Newtstar found his throat so dry that for a moment he could not speak. “The Tribe’s ambassadors are LightClan cats.”

“LightClan?” Darkshadow breathed the word softly, almost reverently. There was a measure of calm about his acceptance of the news. “Are you sure?”

Newtstar found what little courage he had been able to muster for this moment quickly disappearing. He stared at the shadowed form of the DarkClan cat in mesmerized terror. “They have been identified.”

As if unable to endure the silence that followed, Finclaw charged into the gap, wild-eyed. “This scheme of yours has failed, Darkshadow! The blockade is finished! We dare not go up against LightClan cats!”

The dark figure turned slightly. “Are you saying you would rather go up against me, Finclaw? I am amused.” The shadow shifted toward the Fieldclan leader. “Newtstar!”

Newtstar stepped forward quickly. “Yes, Darkshadow?”

Darkshadow’s voice turned slow and sibilant. “I don’t want this stunted piece of crowfood in my sight again. Do you understand?”

Newtstar’s paws were trembling., and he wrapped his tail around them to still them. “Yes, Darkshadow.”

He whirled on Finclaw, but the other was already scrambling away, his face filled with terror.

When he was gone, Darkshadow meowed, “This turn of events is unfortunate, but not fatal. We must accelerate our plans, Newtstar. Begin advancing your warriors. At once.”

Newtstar glanced quickly at Hawkfur, who was trying his best to disappear into the walls of the den. “Ah, of course, but … is that action permissible?”

“I will make it so, Newtstar.”

“Yes, of course.” Newtstar took a quick breath. “And the Lightclan cats?”

Darkshadow seemed to grow darker, his form further obscured by shadows. “Lionstar should never have brought LightClan into this. Kill them immediately.”

“Yes, Darkshadow,” Newtstar answered, but the image of the DarkClan cat had already vanished along with the Starstone’s glow. He stared at the space it had left behind for a moment, then turned to Hawkfur. “Kill their escorts. I will send a patrol to finish _them_.”

In the den in which they’d been left, Moonlight and Sunpaw sat facing each other.

“Is it customary for FieldClan cats to make their guests wait this long?” the younger tom asked.

Before Moonlight could respond, Greyfur appeared carrying a large rabbit in her jaws. She padded over and placed the freshkill in front of them. She moved back then, waiting. Moonlight gestured to his young companion with his tail, and they each took a bite.

Moonlight dipped his head at the anxious she-cat, then looked at Sunpaw. “I sense an unusual amount of maneuvering for something as trivial as this territory dispute. I sense fear as well.”

Sunpaw sat up and started cleaning his whiskers. “Perhaps –”

A loud, distant yowl suddenly cut through the air, followed by another, then silence. The LightClan toms leapt to their paws, claws unsheathed and Force-Crystals blazing. Greyfur scrambled away quickly, fur spiked, wide eyes looking every which way at once.

“What’s happened?” Sunpaw asked quickly.

Moonlight hesitated, closed his eyes, and retreated deep within himself. His eyes snapped open. “They’ve killed our escorts.”

He glanced around swiftly. It took only a moment for him to hear the approaching sound of many paws outside from the direction of the camp.

“A patrol,” he meowed to Sunpaw in warning.

Pressed against the wall near the entrance, the frightened she-cat curled into a pitiful ball like a kit.

At the camp entrance, Newtstar was giving directions to one of his warriors. “There are only two and shouldn’t cause too much trouble. Make certain that they are dead.”

The tom dipped his head and hurried out of camp followed by his large patrol. The cats approached the den entrance with caution. They froze as a cat scrambled out, then relaxed slightly as they recognized Greyfur.

“Excuse me, I’m so sorry,” the she-cat stammered as she bolted past them and into the brush.

In the next instant the LightClan cats appeared, charging from the den with Force-Crystals flashing and claws unsheathed. Moonlight, foreclaws glowing with the Force-Crystal’s green glow, sent a pair of the FieldClan cats flying back with their pelts burned. Sunpaw dropped several more, his own foreclaws glowing blue and burning each cat they touched. He raised a paw and another cat went crashing into a tree as if flung by an invisible blow.

Back in the FieldClan camp, the leader and deputy struggled to see what was happening. The pained yowls and screeches of the patrol could be easily heard throughout the camp and the remaining warriors were milling about in alarm.

“What in blazes is going on down there?” Newtstar demanded, eyes wide.

Hawkfur lowered his ears doubtfully. There was fear in his amber eyes. “You’ve never encountered LightClan warriors before have you?”

“Well, no, not exactly, but I don’t see …” The sounds from the patrol got louder, then began to fade, and suddenly Newtstar was unabashedly afraid. “Block the entrance!” he yowled frantically.

Hawkfur backed away as the other warriors scrambled to block off the camp entrance with nearby stones, brush, and dirt. His voice was small and went unheard as he mewed to himself, “That won’t be enough.”

In seconds, the LightClan cats were standing outside the camp dispatching the last of the cats that stood in their way. An unstoppable force, the two toms worked in unison against their adversaries, seemingly able to anticipate every form of attack. Force-Crystals flashed and claws slashed in brilliant bursts of color. Cats fell away burnt and still.

“More stone!” Newtstar screeched, watching as one of the LightClan cats began cutting through the barricade with his glowing claws. He felt his throat tighten and his fur began to bristle. “Keep the entrance blocked! Now!”

More stone was quickly and frantically shoved onto the pile. The FieldClan cats not moving stone stood transfixed as they heard the continued sounds of the LightClan cats continued their attack, claws cutting at the stones and melting them away with the burning glow created by their Force-Crystals. Mews of disbelief were heard, and Newtstar screeched at them to be silent. Sparks could be seen above the barricade, and a burning hole slowly began to appear in the center where the larger tom dug his claws deep into the barrier.

The FieldClan cats all shrank away. At the center of the barricade, the stone began to crumple and fall away.

“They’re still coming,” Hawkfur hissed, flatting his ears as he backed away further.

Newtstar gave no response. _Impossible!_ he was thinking. _Impossible!_

Moonlight was battering at the barricade with every ounce of strength he possessed, determined to break through to the treacherous FieldClan leader, when his instincts warned him of danger from another quarter.

“Sunpaw!” he yowled to his companion, who whirled toward him at once. “Foxes!”

The younger tom dipped his head, purring. “I’d say this mission is past the negotiation stage.”

Past the bushes to one side of the area in which the LightClan toms had fought, a trio of foxes could be heard rapidly approaching. They had likely heard or smelled the battle and were now coming to investigate to commotion.

Scampering out of the brush, the foxes took in the scattered bodies. Catching the scent of the last two cats standing, they started sniffing around for them.

But the LightClan cats were gone.

Inside the camp, Newtstar and Hawkfur peered cautiously through the remains of the barricade. The foxes were hurrying away, likely pursuing the LightClan cats.

“They’re on the run,” Hawkfur breathed, scarcely able to believe their good fortune.

Newtstar didn’t reply, thinking that their escape had been entirely too close. It was ridiculous that they should be fighting LightClan warriors in any event. This was a matter of travel, not of inter-Clan-relations. FieldClan was fully justified in resisting the Tribe of Gathering’s mouse-brained decision to interfere with travel and hunting matters between Clans when there was no reason or basis to do so. That FieldClan had found an ally to stand with them in this matter, to advise them on imposing a blockade and forcing a withdrawal of rules, was no cause for calling in LightClan.

He crouched low and licked his chest fur to disguise his shaking as the other cats began clearing away the debris.

He was distracted by the arrival of one of his patrolling cats from the border. “Newtstar, ForestClan wishes deliver a message.”

Newtstar hurried after her, beckoning to his deputy as he passed. On the ForestClan side of the border, facing the rest of the patrol, was a small group of ForestClan cats. The she-cat in the center of the patrol drew Newtstar’s attention. She was young, beautiful, and serene. Clay-dust coated her pelt, turning her fur a dusty reddish-brown. She stared out past the FieldClan cats as if she were so far above and beyond them as to be unapproachable.

“It’s Forestspeaker herself,” Hawkfur hissed, keeping his voice low so as not to be heard.

Newtstar dipped his head as they moved closer. “At last we’re getting results,” he hissed back.

He stood across from the ForestClan leader. Forestspeaker sat regally on a protruding tree root, setting her partially off the ground. She was flanked by five of her warriors. Her gaze was steady and direct as it took in the FieldClan leader’s ragged appearance.

“FieldClan is pleased you have chosen to come before us, Forestspeaker,” he began smoothly.

“You will not be so pleased when you hear what I have to say, Newtstar,” she meowed flatly, cutting him short. “Your siege is ended.”

Newtstar fought down his shock, regained his composure, and flicked an ear at Hawkfur in amusement. “Really, Forestspeaker? I was not aware –”

“I have word that the Tribe of Gathering is finally voting on the matter,” she continued, ignoring him.

“I take it you know the outcome already, then.” Newtstar felt a measure of uncertainty take hold. “I wonder why they bother to vote at all.”

Forestspeaker leaned forward slightly, and the FieldClan leader could see the fire in her brown eyes. “I have had enough of pretense, Newtstar. I am aware that Lionstar’s ambassadors are with you now, and that you have been commanded to reach a settlement. What is it to be?”

Newtstar felt a deep hole open in his waning confidence. “I know nothing about any ambassadors. You must be mistaken.”

There was a flicker of surprise on the ForestClan leader’s face as she studied the Fieldclan leader carefully. “Beware, Newtstar,” she mewed softly. “FieldClan has gone too far this time.”

Newtstar widened his eyes, drawing himself up in a defensive posture. “Forestspeaker, we would never do anything in defiance of the Tribe’s will. You assume too much.”

Forestspeaker sat motionless, brown eyes fixed on him – as if she could see the truth he was trying to hide, as if he were nothing more than clear water. “We shall see,” she mewed softly.

She turned and leapt off the root, hurrying away. The ForestClan warriors followed after her immediately and the group vanished into the trees. Newtstar drew a long breath and let it out slowly, not caring much for how this she-cat made him feel.

“She’s right,” Hawkfur mewed at his shoulder. “The Tribe will never let –”

Newtstar lifted his tail to cut him short. “It’s too late now. The invasion is underway.”

Hawkfur was silent for a moment. “Do you think she suspects an attack?”

The FieldClan leader whirled away. “I don’t know, but I don’t want to take any chances. We must move quickly to ensure they cannot summon aid until we’re finished!”

Moonlight and Sunpaw crouched silently above a large, partially hidden gorge just outside the ForestClan border. The gorge was filled with a very large number of cats, so many that the pair could barely see the ground below. The cats’ movements were synchronized perfectly.

“FieldClan has expanded their number of warriors,” Moonlight mewed softly. There was surprise and dismay in his deep voice.

“It’s an invasion army,” Sunpaw mewed.

They continued to watch for a time, taking in the scene, counting cats as they moved out of the gorge and towards the ForestClan border, taking measure of the size of the army.

“It’s an odd play for FieldClan,” Moonlight observed. “We’ve got to warn ForestClan and contact Lionstar.”

Sunpaw dipped his head. “We’d best do it somewhere besides here.”

His mentor glanced at him. “Maybe we can follow behind our friends there.”

“It’s the least they can do after the way they’ve treated us so far.” Sunpaw flicked an ear. “You were right about one thing, Mentor. The negotiations were short.”

Moonlight purred and beckoned him ahead.


	3. Swamp Cats and Omissions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is my first time, quick request for the brave souls reading this fic: If you'd like for me to indicate which cat character is which "Star Wars" character, please let me know in the comments. I would greatly appreciate it.

A twilight that was misty and seemed perpetual lay in silvery gray layers over the green lushness of Green-Trees as the FieldClan cats slipped into the forest. One set of three large patrols split off and proceeded to circle about through a vast, murky swamp that spread through one side of ForestClan’s territory.

Some distance away from the closest patrol, Sunpaw’s head broke the swamp’s still waters. A quick breath, and he was gone again. He surfaced once more, farther away, and this time took a moment to look back at the invasion force. Rank upon rank of cats were moving through the trees, swarming like rats as they moved with a single purpose in mind.

Far to his left, he caught sight of a shadowy form running through the mist and the trees. Moonlight. Sunpaw took another breath, submerged swiftly, and began to swim.

Moonlight slipped wraithlike through the swamp, listening to the sounds of heavy rustling and snapping branches behind him as the FieldClan cats began to advance. Various prey of all shapes and sizes began to scatter from their places of concealment, racing past him in search of safety. Even larger animals were hurrying away from the mass of cats. Dodging the frightened creatures stampeding around him, he cast about for Sunpaw, then picked up his pace as the dark shadow of the invaders appeared out of the mist behind him.

He was running out of firm ground and searching for a way past a large lake when he saw a strange cat before him. It was crouched near the water, its long damp body hovering over a shell it had just pried open, licking out the insides with quick movements. Shoving aside the empty shell, it rose to face Moonlight, its ears pricked as it worked to clean its whiskers of the remains of whatever food it had removed from the shell. Large eyes blinked in confusion, taking in Moonlight and the animals around him, then seeing clearly for the first time the massive shadow from which they fled.

“Oh, oh,” the cat meowed, stepping back.

Moonlight broke left past the cat, anxious to get out of the path of the approaching FieldClan cats. The cat tripped over the shell, eyes wide and frantic, and bolted after Moonlight.

“Help me, help me!” he cried plaintively, ears flattened in shock and desperation.

“Go away!” Moonlight snarled, trying in vain to not stumble.

The FieldClan cats thundered towards them, hurrying through the swamp, flattening plants and kicking up water as they passed. Their shadows began to bear down on Moonlight as he fought to race clear of the cat that ran too close, repeatedly tripping him in a futile effort to escape.

Finally, with the FieldClan cats only foxlengths away and almost close enough to smell him even through the swamp’s foul scent, the LightClan sage pushed the cat into the shallow water and mud and dove on top of him. Miraculously, the invaders didn’t notice them hiding in the reeds and mud as they raced past, the ground vibrating beneath their paws as the pair flattened themselves into the mire.

When they were safely past, Moonlight raised himself out of the mud and took a deep, welcoming breath. The strange cat clambered out with him, cloudy water dripping from his fur. He gave a quick glance after the departing cats, then flung himself at Moonlight, hopping around him enthusiastically.

“Oh yay, oh yay!” he gasped with a kittenish, warbled meow. “I love you, love you forever!”

The cat began rubbing his muzzle against him.

“Get off!” Moonlight huffed. “Are you mouse-brained? You almost got us killed!”

The cat looked offended. “Mouse-brained? I speak!”

“The ability to communicate does not make you intelligent!” Moonlight was having none of it. “Now leave me be and get out of here!”

He pulled himself away from the cat and began to move off, glancing around uneasily as the movement of more FieldClan cats sounded in the distance.

The other cat hesitated, then began trailing after him. “No, no, me stay with you! Me stay! Frog be loyal, humble Tribe of Deep Waters follower. Be your friend, me.”

The LightClan sage barely glanced at him, watching the shadows, searching now for Sunpaw. “Thanks, but that won’t be necessary. Better be off with you.”

Frog the Tribe of Deep Waters cat splashed after him, ears flapping, tail waving. “Oh, but it’s necessary! It’s demanded by the Ancestors. It’s life debt. Me know this, sure as my name be Frog That Leaps From Stone!”

The swamp echoed the sounds of many paws, and now two FieldClan cats burst from the mist, bearing down on a fleeing Sunpaw, pursuers moving to the attack.

Moonlight unsheathed his claws, motioning Frog away with his tail. “I have no time for this now –”

“But must take me with you, keep me –” Frog stopped, hearing the enemy cats, turning to see them bearing down, eyes going wide all over again. “Oh, oh, we going to –”

Moonlight grabbed the Tribe cat by the scruff and threw him into the swamp water once more. “Stay put.” He activated the Force-Crystal, bracing himself as Sunpaw and the pursuing cats approached.

Frog’s head popped up. “We going to die!” he wailed.

The FieldClan cats lunged to strike just as Sunpaw reached his friend. Moonlight dodged the enemies’ initial attacks and lashed out with glowing claws. The cats dropped, pelts burning, and their bodies fell into the swamp.

An exhausted Sunpaw groomed his muddy fur, gasping for breath. “Sorry, Mentor. The swamp damaged my Force-Crystal.”

He extended his paw. The crystal was blackened and burned where the material was curled around it. Moonlight gave it a cursory inspection. Behind him, Frog clambered out of the muddy swamp water and blinked curiously at the newly arrived LightClan cat.

“You forgot to deactivate it again, didn’t you, Sunpaw?” his friend asked pointedly.

Sunpaw ducked his head embarrassedly. “It appears so, Mentor.”

“It won’t take long to recover, but it will take some time to clean it up. I trust you have finally learned your lesson, my young apprentice.”

“Yes, Mentor.” Sunpaw lowered his paw with a chagrined look.

Frog pushed forward, tripping over his long legs and large paws. “You save me again, hey?” he asked Moonlight rhetorically.

Sunpaw stared. “What’s this?”

“One of the locals. His name’s Frog That Leaps From Stone of the Tribe of Deep Waters.” Moonlight’s attention was directed out at the swamp. “Let’s go, before more of FieldClan shows up.”

“More?” Frog gasped worriedly. “You say more?”

Moonlight was already moving, shifting into a steady trot through the mire. Sunpaw was only a step behind, and it took a moment for Frog to catch up to them, his long legs working frantically, his eyes darting around.

“Excuse me, but the most grand safest place is in the Tribe’s camp,” he gasped at them, trying to catch their attention. All about, lost somewhere in the mists, FieldClan cats were heard moving through the swamp. “The Tribe of Deep Waters camp,” Frog repeated. “It’s where me grew. It’s safe place!”

Moonlight brought them to a halt, staring fixedly now at the Tribe cat. “What did you say? Your Tribe’s camp?” Frog bobbed his head eagerly. “Can you take us there?”

The Tribe-cat seemed suddenly distraught. “Ah, oh, oh … maybe me not really take you … not really, no.”

Moonlight leaned close, his eyes narrow. “No?”

Frog looked as if he wished he could disappear into the swamp completely. His throat worked and his jaw opened and closed like a fish’s. “It’s embarrassment, but … me afraid me be banished. Sent out. Me forget Mud Where Toads Gather do terrible hurt to me if go back there. Terrible bad hurt.”

The sound of many cats began to rise up through the mist and gloom, growing steadily louder. Frog glanced around uneasily. “Oh, oh.”

“You hear that?” Moonlight asked softly, lifting a paw towards the Tribe cat. Frog dipped his head reluctantly. “There’s a thousand terrible things heading this way, my Tribe-cat friend …”

“And when they find you, they will shred you, rip you into little pieces, and then fling you into oblivion,” Sunpaw added with more than a little glee.

Frog’s eyes darted around and whimpered. “Oh, oh. Your point very good one.” He gestured with his tail frantically. “This way! This way! Hurry quick!”

In a rush, they raced away into the twilight mist.

Sometime later, the LightClan and Tribe cats emerged from a deep stand of swamp grass and thick rushes at the edge of a lake so murky that it was impossible to see anything in the reflection of twilight off the surface. Frog crouched down as he fought to catch his breath. His skinny form whipped this way and that as he looked back in the direction from which they had come, ears flapping with the movement. Sunpaw flicked his tail at Moonlight in faint reproval. He was not happy with the Lightclan sage’s decision to link up with this mouse-brained cat.

Somewhere in the distance they could hear the steady, deep drumming of many paws.

“How much farther?” Moonlight pressed their reluctant guide.

The Tribe cat pointed with his tail across the lake. “We swim across the water, okay?”

The LightClan cats looked at each other, then padded toward the water with grim expressions.

“Me warning you.” Frog’s eyes shifted from one to the other. “Tribe of Deep Waters no like you outsiders. You not going to get a warm welcome.”

Sunpaw twitched his ear. “Don’t worry. This hasn’t been our day for warm welcomes.”

“Get going,” Moonlight motioned with a paw.

The Tribe cat flicked his tail, as if to disclaim all responsibility for what would follow, turned back to the lake, made a running leap, and disappeared into the gloom.

The LightClan cats waded after him.

Onward through the murkiness they swam, the LightClan cats following the slender form of the Tribe cat, who seemed far more at home in the water than on land. He swam smoothly and gracefully, sliding through with barely a ripple. They swam for a long time, going deeper into the swamp. As they went further, the number of fireflies grew steadily as the sunlight began to disappear behind the dense plants. The minutes slipped away, and Sunpaw began to have second thoughts about what they were doing. 

Slowly the Tribe of Deep Waters’ camp came into view. The camp was situated on a patch of solid ground surrounded by mud and murky water and comprised of dens of various sizes clustered throughout and supported by large rock pillars. One by one, the dens grew more distinct, and it became possible to make out the particulars of the dens’ materials and the features of the Tribe cats as they moved about their business.

Frog swam directly to the nearest patch of land, the LightClan cats close on his tail. When he reached the patch, he clambered up onto it and started shaking the muck from his pelt. Amazed at the camp’s vastness, the LightClan cats followed, climbing out of the water and moving behind the Tribe cat. As they moved toward the main area of the camp, cats began to catch sight of them and to scatter with small yowls of alarm.

In short order, a group of fierce-looking cats appeared, fur bristling with alarm. These, Moonlight realized, must be their warriors or camp guards. The warriors waved back the distraught Tribe cats with their tails at the same time they advanced on the intruders.

“Heyday ho, Tar,” Frog greeted the leader of the group cheerfully. “Me back!”

“Not again, Frog That Leaps From Stone!” the other snarled, clearly irritated. “You going to Mud Where Toads Gather. See what he say. You maybe in big trouble this time.”

Ignoring the LightClan cats, he prodded Frog with a claw, causing the hapless cat to trip over his paws as he jumped away. Frog groomed his chest-fur ruefully.

The Tribe warriors took them past the dens to a stone cave, down a winding tunnel, and into what, Frog told his companions, was the Elders’ Meeting Den. The cavern had many tall, thin stones that stood out along the ground and hung from above like fangs. A surprisingly clear stream ran through the center of the cave, and small glowing fish could be seen swimming about. A series of stone ledges dominated one end of the cavern with one set higher than the rest. All of the ledges were occupied by Tribe elders, and a way was quickly made for the newcomers through Tribe cats already present to conduct other business.

The cat sitting on the highest ledge was a large, heavyset tom so rounded by age that it was impossible to imagine he had ever been as slender as Frog. His long fur was thick along his body, his neck was compressed into his shoulders, and his face bore such a sour look that even Frog seemed more than a little cowed as they were motioned forward.

The Tribe elders stared, looking around at each other as the Lightclan cats approached. “What you want, outsiders?” Mud rumbled at them, after identifying himself.

Moonlight told him, relating what had brought the LightClan cats to Green-Trees, warning of the invasion taking place outside, asking the Tribe of Deep Waters to give them help. The Tribe elders listened patiently, saying nothing until Moonlight was finished.

Mud flicked his tail. “You can’t be here. This army of field-cats outside it’s not our problem.”

Moonlight held his ground. “That army of FieldClan cats is about to attack ForestClan. We must warn them.”

“We no like the forest-cats!” Mud growled irritably. “And they no like the Tribe of Deep Waters. The forest-cats think they more smart than us. They think they minds so big. They have nothing to do with us cause we live in the swamp and they live out there. Long time no have nothing to do with each other. This not going to change because of field-cats.”

“After that army takes control of ForestClan, they will come here and take control of you,” Sunpaw mewed quietly.

Mud purred. “No, me think not. Me speak maybe one, two times with forest-cats in whole life, and no talk ever with field-cats. Field-cats no come here! They not even know Tribe of Deep Waters exist!”

The remaining elders indicated agreement, voicing their approval of Mud’s wisdom.

“You and ForestClan are connected,” Sunpaw insisted, his young face intent, not ready to concede the matter. “What happens to one will affect the other. You must understand this.”

Mud dismissed him with a wave of his thick tail. “We know nothing of you, outlander, and we no care about the forest-cats.”

Before Sunpaw could continue his argument, Moonlight stepped forward. “Then speed us on our way,” he demanded, bringing up his tail in a casual motion, waving it smoothly before the Tribe leader’s eyes in a quick invocation of LightClan mind power.

Mud stared at him, then dipped his head. “We speed you far away.”

Moonlight held his gaze. “We need directions to the ForestClan camp.”

“Okay.” Mud dipped his head again. “We give you directions. The speediest way to the forest-cats is going through the swamp-heart. You go now.”

Moonlight stepped back. “Thank you for your help. We go in peace.”

As the LightClan cats turned to leave, Sunpaw hissed, “Mentor, what is the swamp-heart?”

Moonlight glanced at him, and tilted his head thoughtfully. “A shortcut of some sort, I hope.”

They were moving away from Mud and the other Tribe elders when they caught sight of Frog standing forlornly to one side, heavily guarded and awaiting his fate. Moonlight slowed and made eye contact with the unfortunate cat.

“Mentor,” Sunpaw mewed softly in warning. He knew Moonlight too well not to see what was coming.

The tall LightClan tom moved over to Frog and stood looking at him.

“They setting you up for bad fall!” the Tribe cat declared sullenly, glancing around to see if any other cat might be listening. “Going through the swamp-heart is bad danger.”

Moonlight dipped his head. “Thank you, my friend.”

Frog flicked his tail and looked sad. “Ah, it’s okay.” Then he let out a low, sheepish purr and gave the LightClan sage a hopeful look. “Hey, any help here would be nice.”

Moonlight hesitated.

“We are short of time, Mentor,” Sunpaw advised quietly, moving to his side.

The LightClan sage turned to face his apprentice, eyes distant. “Time spent here may help us later. Frog might be of some use.”

Sunpaw lashed his tail in frustration. His mentor was too eager to involve himself when it was not necessary. He was too quick to adopt causes that were not his own. It had cost him time and time again with the LightClan Council. One day, it would be his undoing.

He leaned close. “I sense a loss of focus.”

Moonlight’s eyes fixed on him. “Be mindful, young Sunpaw,” he chastised gently. “Your sensitivity to the Living Force is not your strength.”

The younger LightClan cat held his gaze only a moment, then looked away, stung by the criticism. Moonlight turned from him and padded back to Mud. “What is to become of Frog That Leaps From Stone?” he asked.

Mud, who was engaged in conversation with another of the Tribe elders, turned to him in annoyance, his heavy frame heaving. “Frog breaks no-come-back law. Breaks exile. He be punished.”

“Not too severely, I trust?” the LightClan sage pressed. “He has been of great help to us.”

A slow purr rumbled out of Mud. “Clawed until death, this one.”

Somewhere behind, Frog wailed loudly. There were mews about the cavern. Even Sunpaw, who was back at his mentor’s side, looked shocked.

Moonlight was thinking fast. “We need a guide to lead us through the swamp-heart to ForestClan. I saved Frog’s life outside. He owes me for that. I claim a life debt on him.”

Mud stared at the LightClan tom in silence, ears tilted and tail flicking from side to side. His head seemed to sink deeper into his shoulders, into the mounds of long fur that obscured his neck.

Then his small eyes sought the unfortunate Frog, and he gestured with his tail. “Frog That Leaps From Stone?”

Frog moved forward obediently to stand beside the LightClan cats.

“You have life debt with this outsider?” Mud demanded darkly.

Frog dipped his head, ears and tail hanging, but a flicker of hope springing into his eyes.

“Your ancestors demand he satisfy that debt,” Moonlight insisted, waving his tail in front of Mud’s eyes, invoking his LightClan power once more. “His life belongs to me now.”

The Tribe leader considered the matter only a moment before dipping his head in agreement. “His life is yours. Worthless, anywhat. Begone with him.”

The guards moved back.

“Come, Frog,” Moonlight advised, herding him away.

“Through the swamp-heart?” Frog rasped, realizing suddenly what had happened. “Count me out of this! Better dead here then dead in the swamp-heart! Me not go …”

But by then the LightClan cats were dragging him out of the cavern and all sight and sound of Mud. 

Deep in the medicine cat’s den, Newtstar and Hawkfur stood alone before an image of Darkshadow. Neither of the FieldClan cats was looking at the other, and both were hoping the DarkClan tom could not sense what they were thinking.

“The invasion is on schedule, Darkshadow,” the FieldClan leader was informing him, struggling to hide the occasional twitch of his pelt as he faced the shadowed and unclear form before him. “Our army nears the Forestclan camp.”

“Good. Very good.” Darkshadow mewed in a soft, calm voice. “I have the Great Gathering swimming in procedures. By the time this incident comes up for a vote, they will have no choice but to accept that your blockade has been successful.”

Newtstar glanced quickly at his deputy. “Forestspeaker has great faith that the Tribe of Gathering will side with her.”

“This Forestspeaker is young and naïve. You will find controlling her will not be difficult.” The image shimmered. “You have done well, Newtstar.”

“Thank you, Darkshadow,” the other acknowledged as the image faded away.

In the ensuing silence, the FieldClan cats turned to each other with knowing looks. “You didn’t tell him,” Hawkfur meowed accusingly.

“Of the missing LightClan cats?” Newtstar gave a dismissive wave of his tail. “No need to tell him that. No need to tell him anything until we know for certain what has happened.”

Hawkfur studied him a long time before turning away. “No, no need,” he mewed softly, and padded from the den.


	4. Swamp-Heart and Disappointment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering why these chapters are so long, it's because they're (more or less) lifted straight from the novelizations. With obvious alterations, of course.

Sunpaw studied their surroundings, familiarizing himself with the dark swamp and its other inhabitants as Frog, stumbling along next to him, rambled on and on about nothing. Moonlight padded behind them, silent and watchful.

“This is mouse-brained!” Frog wailed as they moved steadily away from the firefly-lit lake that surrounded the Tribe’s camp and deeper into the swamp.

The LightClan and Tribe cats moved quickly, with Frog instructed to lead them through the swamp-heart. It seemed that there were tunnels all through the swamp, and if you were able to locate the right one, you could cut travel time considerably.

Or in the alternative, Sunpaw thought darkly, you could drown yourself.

“We doomed,” Frog mewed plaintively. He turned away from where they were headed toward the LightClan sage. “Heyday ho? Where we going, Moonlight?”

“You’re the guide,” Moonlight observed.

Frog shook his pelt. “Me? You dreaming. Don’t know nothing about this, me.”

Moonlight touched the Tribe cat’s shoulder with his tail. “Just relax, my friend. The Force will guide us.”

“The Force? What is the Force?” Frog did not look impressed. “Very big thing, this Force, you bet. Going to save me, you, all of us, huh?”

Sunpaw closed his eyes in dismay. This was a disaster waiting to happen. But it was Moonlight’s disaster to manage. It was not his place to interfere. Moonlight had made the decision to bring Frog along, after all. Not because he was a skilled guide or had displayed even the slightest evidence of talent in any other regard, but because he was another project that Moonlight, with his persistent disregard for the dictates of the Council, had determined had value and could be reclaimed.

It was a preoccupation that both mystified and frustrated Sunpaw. His mentor was perhaps the greatest LightClan sage alive, a commanding presence at Council, a strong and brave warrior who refused to be intimidated by even the most daunting challenge, and a good and kind cat. Maybe it was the latter that had gotten him into so much trouble. He repeatedly defied the Council in matters that Sunpaw thought barely worthy of championing. He was possessed of his own particular vision of a LightClan cat’s purpose, of the nature of his service, and of the causes he should undertake, and he followed that vision with unwavering single-mindedness.

Sunpaw was young and impatient, headstrong and not yet at one with the Force in the way that Moonlight was, but he understood better, he thought, the dangers of overreaching, of taking on too many tasks. Moonlight would dare anything when he found a challenge that interested him, even if he risked himself in the undertaking.

So here it was. Frog was a risk of the greatest magnitude, and there was no reason to think that embracing such a risk would reap even the smallest reward.

The Tribe cat rumbled some more, all the while looking about as if seeking a sign that would allow him to at least pretend he knew what he was doing. Sunpaw bristled. Stay out of it, he told himself sternly. Stay out of it.

“Here, stay alert,” he snarled at Frog.

He dropped back to pad close to Moonlight. “Mentor,” he mewed, unable to help himself, “why do you keep dragging these pathetic creatures along with us when they are of so little use?”

Moonlight purred faintly. “He seems that way now perhaps, but you must look deeper, Sunpaw.”

“I’ve looked deep enough, and there is nothing to see!” Sunpaw lashed his tail with irritation. “He is an unneeded distraction!”

“Maybe for the moment. But that may change with time.” Sunpaw started to say something more, but the LightClan sage cut him short. “Listen to me, my young apprentice. There are secrets hidden in the Force that are not easily discovered. The Force is vast and pervasive, and all living things are a part of it. It is not always apparent what their purpose is, however. Sometimes that purpose must be sensed first in order that it may be revealed later.”

Sunpaw’s ear twitched. “Some secrets are best left concealed, Mentor.” He flicked his tail. “Besides, why must you always be the one to do the uncovering? You know how the Council feels about these … detours. Perhaps, just once, the uncovering should be left to some other cat.”

Moonlight looked suddenly sad. “No, Sunpaw. Secrets must be exposed when found. Detours must be taken when encountered. And if you are the one who stands at the crossroads or the place of concealment, you must never leave it to another to act in your place.”

The last of the firefly swarms from the lake disappeared in a wash of murkiness, and the mist closed around them in a dark cloud. Frog was leading them on at a slow, steady speed, no longer twitching or making a sound, his eyes fixed firmly ahead.

“I respect your judgement in this, Mentor,” Sunpaw mewed finally. “But it doesn’t stop me from worrying.”

Like all of the LightClan cats, Sunpaw had been identified and claimed at three moons from his birth parents. He no longer remembered anything of them now; LightClan had become his family. Of all the Clan cats, he was closest to Moonlight, his mentor for almost 18 moons, who had become his most trusted friend.

Moonlight understood his attachment and shared it. Sunpaw was the kit he would never have. He was the future he would leave behind when he died. His hopes for Sunpaw were enormous, but he did not always share his apprentice’s beliefs.

“Be patient with me, Sunpaw,” he replied softly. “A little faith sometimes goes a long way.”

They weaved through a mossy tunnel, the dark walls and ground damp from the constant moisture. All about, brightly glowing insects clung to the rocks.

“Are the Tribe of Deep Waters and ForestClan at war with each other?” Moonlight asked Frog thoughtfully.

The Tribe cat flicked his tail. “No war. Forest-cats and Tribe cats don’t fight. Long time ago, maybe. Now, forest-cats keep out of swamp, Tribe cats keep out of forest. They don’t even see each other.”

"But they don’t like each other?” the LightClan sage pressed.

Frog sniffed. "The forest-cats got big heads, all the time think they so much better than the Tribe of Deep Waters! Big nothings!”

Sunpaw padded near Frog’s shoulder, his eyes directed ahead. “Why were you banished, Frog?”

The Tribe cat made a series of small sounds as his ears and tail dropped a little. “It’s kind-of long story, but keeping this short, me … oh, oh, ahhh … kind-of clumsy.”

“You were banished because you’re clumsy?” Sunpaw meowed in disbelief.

They moved out of the first tunnel and continued between two huge stones. Neither the LightClan cats nor the Tribe cat saw the dark shape that emerged from the murky river and began to track them.

Frog twitched. “Me cause maybe one or two little bitty accidents. Get leaves-pile mucky, knock over the elders sacred wet-stones. Then they banish me.”

Sunpaw was not entirely sure what Frog was telling him. But before he could ask for clarification, there was a loud splash. A huge scaled creature rose out of the water and started for them with its long jaws open showing row upon row of fangs.

“River-cat-eater!” Frog wailed in dismay. “We doomed!”

“Full speed forward, Frog!” Moonlight ordered quickly, with a single glance at the creature’s huge maw.

But as he turned to run, Frog tripped over his own paws and landed flat in the mud. The LightClan cats quickly dragged him up as they hurried forward. The creature’s first attack missed and its jaws snapped shut on air, sending up a wave of mud and debris that nearly knocked the cats over.

“Oh, oh,” Frog meowed.

Sunpaw leapt quickly forward. “Here, follow me!”

He led the others on a winding trail towards a tunnel he spotted beneath a tangled mass of tree roots, the creature hot on their tails. Suddenly, they heard a loud hiss and, to their surprise, the river-cat-eater’s pursuit stopped abruptly.

“We free! We free!” Frog was bounding about as they approached the tunnel, ecstatic over their good fortune.

But a quick glance behind them revealed that they were lucky for a different reason than they thought. The river-cat-eater was caught by the scaled body of a creature so huge that it dwarfed even the beast it was killing. A long, snake-like hunter with a body large enough that all three cats could easily fit inside was crushing the other creature with its legless body.

“Long-tree-snake, oh, oh!” Frog squeaked, his fur fluffed in terror.

They increased their speed, trying to put more distance between themselves and this newest threat. The long-tree-snake and its hapless prey disappeared behind them as they dove into the tunnel and raced for the other side. Suddenly they heard a muffled crash above them. A small crack appeared in the stone above their heads and water began dripping into the tunnel.

“Mentor,” Sunpaw meowed as the tunnel shuddered slightly, “the tunnel is beginning to weaken.”

Moonlight kept a steady pace, eyes fixed to the exit just ahead of them. “Stay calm. We’re not in trouble yet.”

“Not yet!” Frog had lost all pretense of calm and his eyes went round. “Monsters out there! Leaking in here. Tunnel is shaking! You mouse-brained! When you think we in trouble?”

With that, the top of the tunnel gave way and a huge mound of mud fell to block their escape. Frog had his answer.

In the hidden area of the FieldClan medicine cat’s den, an image of Darkshadow towered over Newtstar and Hawkfur. The FieldClan leader and his deputy stood motionless before it, amber eyes fixed and staring, flattened ears betraying every bit of the fear that held them paralyzed.

The dark figure of Darkshadow regarded them silently. There was no hint of expression on his shadowed countenance. But the rigid posture of the DarkClan cat’s body spoke volumes.

“You disappoint me, Newtstar,” he hissed.

“Darkshadow, I am certain that all –” The subject of his anger tried futilely to explain.

“Worse, you defy me!”

The FieldClan leader underwent a terrifying transformation. “No, Darkshadow! Never! These LightClan cats are … resourceful, that’s all. Not easily destroyed –”

“Alive, then, Newtstar?”

“No, no, I’m sure they’re dead. They must be. We – we just haven’t been able to confirm it … yet.”

Darkshadow ignored him. “If they are alive, they will show themselves. When they do, Newtstar, I want to know immediately. I will deal with them myself.”

Newtstar looked as if he might collapse under the weight of the DarkClan cat’s penetrating stare. “Yes, Darkshadow,” he managed as the image vanished.

Inside the tunnel, Sunpaw fought to dig through the blockage as the mud began to shift as he did so.

Abruptly the mud dropped away and the exit was cleared. “We’re free,” Sunpaw breathed gratefully.

They all rushed out, momentarily blinded by the light. Then Frog screeched. A new creature was sitting right in front of them, all gold and black scales and sharp teeth, clawed forelegs raised defensively.

“Gold-claw-lizard,” the Tribe cat screeched. “You LightClan cats do something! Where the Force now, you think?”

“Relax,” Moonlight mewed, touching his tail to Frog’s shoulder.

“And keep running,” Sunpaw meowed, whirling left and racing through the dark underbrush.

They quickly dove into another tunnel. Even without looking, they knew the gold-claw-lizard was in pursuit. They were lucky to have caught it by surprise. They weaved back and forth to keep it from catching them. The creature slammed into the tunnel walls every time it missed one of the cats. Sunpaw increased his speed.

“Come on, come on!” he breathed softly.

They shot out of the tunnel and almost directly into the face of another long-tree-snake. The creature jerked back at their unexpected appearance, giving them just an instant to turn hard to the right. The jaws of the snake opened as they sped away under a series of tree roots and stones. But the gold-claw-lizard, still in pursuit, did not veer away quickly enough and flew right into the larger hunter’s coils. The jaws came down as the creature coiled quickly around it.

The cats made it to the next tunnel and paused just inside to catch their breath.

“Let’s hope that’s all the snack he requires,” Sunpaw observed with a quick glance back.

Apparently it was, because it did not come after them. It took a while to drag the exhausted Frog back to his paws and a good deal longer to complete their journey through the swamp-heart, but with the Tribe cat’s somewhat questionable help, they finally emerged from the last dark tunnel toward a blaze of sunshine. They emerged to a field of bright flowers, bright blue river water, green hills and trees rising about them, clouds and blue sky overhead. Sunpaw led the way to the nearest stream so they could clean the swamp mud from their fur, catch a bit of prey to fill their bellies, and rest. After a moment, Moonlight rose from the remains of his vole and looked around.

“We safe now,” Frog observed with a grateful breath, lounging in the warm sunlight. “It’s okay, hey?”

“That remains to be seen,” the LightClan sage mewed. “Let’s be off.”

He turned toward the trees and started away. Sunpaw glanced meaningfully at Frog and followed.

The Tribe cat stared doubtfully after the LightClan cats. “Me coming, me coming,” he meowed, and hurried after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as a reminder: if you would like me to mention which character is which, please let me know in the comments section. I would really like to know.


	5. Invasion and Escape

Newtstar stood in silence in the center of the ForestClan camp and listened patiently as Bubblenose, ForestClan’s medicine cat, protested FieldClan’s presence. Hawkfur stood at his side. Twenty-four warriors kept guard over the ForestClan cats in camp. The Clan had fallen shortly after sunrise. There had been little resistance; the ForestClan cats were peaceful. The FieldClan invasion had come as a surprise, and the army was inside the camp before any substantial defense could be mustered. Most of the ForestClan cats had been removed to prisoner-camps. More FieldClan warriors were searching the territory even now to put an end to any lingering resistance.

Newtstar resisted a purr. Apparently Forestspeaker had believed right up to the end that negotiations would prevail and the Tribe of Gathering would provide the ForestClan cats with protection.

“It is bad enough, Newtstar, that you dare to block communication between Forestspeaker and Foxfur while he is attempting to argue our cause at the Great Gathering, bad enough that you pretend that this blockade is a lawful action, but to send an army into our territory and occupying our camp is too mouse-brained to speak of.”

Bubblenose was a tall, grey tabby tom with a tongue far sharper than his claws. He held his ground just at the moment, but Newtstar was getting tired of listening to him.

He glanced at the other captives. Brownmoss, Forestspeaker’s most experienced camp-guard, one apprentice, and three other camp-guards stood to one side, surrounded and helpless. Brownmoss’s tail lashed as he glared at the FieldClan cats. He was a big, powerful tom with smooth dark brown fur and quick eyes. The FieldClan leader did not like the way those eyes were fixed on him.

Forestspeaker sat on a rock outside her den, flanked by her personal protectors. She was serene and aloof, detached from everything, as if what was taking place had no effect on her in any way. She was covered in clay-dust mixed with crushed tansy, turning her fur color reddish-brown and disguising her scent. She was considered beautiful, but he thought her too small and plain.

What interested him was her young age. She was barely out of apprenticeship, not quite fully-grown, and yet the ForestClan cats had chosen her as their leader. This wasn’t a Clan where a deputy took over after their leader resigned or lost their ninth life. ForestClan chose the wisest among them as their leader by popular acclaim, and Forestspeaker, whichever cat held that name, led with her Clan’s permission. Why they would choose a cat so young and naïve was a mystery to him. From his point of view it certainly hadn’t served them well in this instance.

Bubblenose’s voice echoed throughout the camp. ForestClan had a large territory, full of prey. The large camp was a testament to the many cats that lived within ForestClan.

“Newtstar, I ask you directly.” Bubblenose was concluding his oration. “How do you intend to explain this invasion to the Tribe of Gathering?”

Newtstar flicked an ear with amusement. “ForestClan and FieldClan will make a pact that will legitimize our occupation of ForestClan territory. I have been assured that such a pact, once created, will be quickly approved by the Tribe of Gathering.”

“A pact?” the medicine cat yowled in astonishment. “In the face of this completely unlawful action?”

Forestspeaker rose from her perch and stepped down, flanked by her silent protectors. Her eyes were sharp with anger. “I will not cooperate.”

Newtstar exchanged a quick glance with Hawkfur. “Now, now, Forestspeaker,” he purred. “Don’t be too hasty with your pronouncements. You are not going to like what we have in store for your Clan. In time, their suffering will persuade you to see our point of view.”

He turned away. “Enough talk.” He beckoned with his tail. “Slenderleg?” A yellow tabby tom stepped forward, narrow head dipped slightly in response. “Take them,” the Fieldclan leader ordered.

Slenderleg signaled to one of the other warriors to take over, directing him to take the prisoners to prisoner-camp four. The FieldClan warriors herded Forestspeaker, her protectors, Bubblenose, Brownmoss, and the camp-guards from the camp.

Newtstar’s narrowed amber eyes followed them out, then shifted back to Hawkfur and the ForestClan camp. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction take hold. Everything was going exactly as it should.

The FieldClan warriors moved the prisoners along the path leading from camp and farther into the forest. They passed other FieldClan warriors, but not a single ForestClan cat could be seen. They slunk about like rats as they moved around the camp

Beyond the trees, a vast valley with tall stones. Sunlight streamed over the bright foliage and stones. The rush of waterfalls and the quiet burble of the clear streams formed a soft, distant backdrop to the strange silence created by the absence of the ForestClan cats. None of the cats uttered a sound. Even Bubblenose had gone silent, his head lowered in dark contemplation.

The FieldClan warriors had just turned their prisoners along a quiet path alongside a mossy ledge when the cat in front brought them to an abrupt halt.

Two cats stood directly in their way, each with a colored crystal wrapped around their right forepaws, the taller with black and white fur, the shorter with light brown fur and a white left forepaw. Their tails hung loosely and their bodies relaxed, but they did not have the look of cats who were unprepared.

For a moment, each group stared at each other in silence. Then the narrowed face of a Tribe cat peeked out from behind the two other cats, eyes wide and frightened.

Moonlight stepped forward. “Are you Forestspeaker of ForestClan?” he asked the young cat covered in clay-dust.

Forestspeaker hesitated. “Who are you?”

“Ambassadors from Lionstar.” The LightClan sage dipped his head slightly. “We seek an audience with you.”

The FieldClan cat leading the group suddenly seemed to remember where he was and what he was doing. He turned to his warriors. “Clear them away!”

Four of the cats moved to obey. They were moving into battle-positions when the Light-Clan cats activated their Force-Crystals and attacked. As the first FieldClan warriors fell, the LightClan cats moved quickly to dispatch the others. Blows were dodged, pelts were burned, and the remaining foes fell easily.

The leading warrior turned to flee, but Moonlight brought up a paw, holding the cat fast with the power of the Force. In seconds, the cat lay in a crumpled heap with his command.

Quickly, the ForestClan cats moved away from the bodies. The LightClan cats deactivated their Force-Crystals and led the others to the shelter of an opening beneath the roots of a nearby tree. Frog followed, looking mystified at the cold efficiency with which the LightClan cats had dispatched their enemies.

Moonlight faced Forestspeaker. “Forestspeaker, I am Moonlight and my companion is Sunpaw. We are cats of LightClan as well as ambassadors for Lionstar.”

“Your negotiations seemed to have failed, ambassador,” Bubblenose observed with a huff.

“The negotiations never took place.” Moonlight kept his eyes directed toward the ForestClan leader. Her face showed nothing. “Forestspeaker,” he continued, “we must send word to the Tribe of Gathering.”

“We can’t,” Brownmoss volunteered, stepping forward. “They’ve blocked off all of our messenger trails.”

A yowl was heard from somewhere close and there was the sound of paw-steps. Moonlight glanced toward the area where the bodies lay. “Do you have an escape route?”

The ForestClan warrior dipped his head, quick to see what the LightClan cat intended. “Through the Great Waterfall. This way.”

He led the group out of the crevasse and farther and deeper into the forest, encountering no other cats. They moved quickly and silently from the growing yowls of alarm. To their credit, the ForestClan cats did not resist Moonlight’s leadership nor question his appearance. Without the immediate threat of the FieldClan warriors, the ForestClan leader and her companions had a sense of being in control of their own destiny once more and seemed more than ready to take a chance with their rescuers.

It did not take them long to reach their destination. A series of connected streams led back toward the largest waterfall in ForestClan territory. FieldClan cats were everywhere, most lounging in the warm sunlight, but Brownmoss was able to find an unguarded approach along the inner tree-line.

At the foot of the Great Waterfall, Brownmoss brought the group to a halt. After a quick glance behind them for FieldClan warriors, he crept closer to the edge of the cavern opening just behind the falling water. With Moonlight pressed close, he peered inside. There were a large number of FieldClan warriors guarding tunnel in the back of the cavern.

Brownmoss indicated the tunnel beyond the enemy warriors. “That’s the only way out left to us,” he hissed to the LightClan sage.

Moonlight dipped his head. In the distance, more yowls could be heard. “It will do,” he mewed.

Brownmoss scanned the cavern interior. “The FieldClan warriors. There are too many of them.”

The LightClan tom eased back from the opening. “That won’t be a problem.” He faced the ForestClan leader. “Forestspeaker. Under the circumstances, I suggest you come to the Gathering Place with us.”

The she-cat flicked her tail. Her dust-covered face was calm and her gaze steady. “Thank you, ambassador, but my place is here with my Clan.”

“I don’t think so,” Moonlight responded, locking eyes. “FieldClan has other plans. They will kill you if you stay.”

Bubblenose pushed to Forestspeaker’s side. “They wouldn’t dare!”

“They need her to create a pact to make this invasion of theirs lawful!” Brownmoss pointed out. “They can’t afford to kill her!”

The ForestClan leader looked from face-to-face, the barest flicker of uncertainty showing in her eyes.

“The situation here is not what it seems,” Moonlight pressed. “There is something else going on, Forestspeaker. There is no logic to FieldClan’s actions. My instincts tell me they will destroy you.”

A shadow of real alarm crossed Bubblenose’s face as the LightClan sage finished. His strong features melted slightly. “Forestspeaker,” he mewed slowly. “Perhaps you should reconsider. Our only hope is for the Tribe of Gathering to take our side in this matter. Foxfur will need your help.”

Brownmoss was having none of it. “Getting past their blockade is impossible, Forest-speaker – even if we were to get out of our territory! An escape attempt is too dangerous –”

“Forestspeaker, I will stay here and do what I can,” Bubblenose interrupted, flicking his tail at Brownmoss. “They will have to retain my position in order to maintain some semblance of order. But you must leave –”

Forestspeaker lifted her tail sharply to silence the debate. Turning from her medicine cat and senior warrior and the LightClan tom as well, she looked suddenly at her protectors, who were pressed close around her. “Either choice presents great risk to all of us …,” she mewed softly, looking from face to face.

Moonlight watched the exchange, puzzled. What was the ForestClan leader seeking?

The protectors glanced at one another. All were silent.

Finally, one spoke. “We are brave, Forestspeaker,” Berryheart meowed firmly.

“If you are to leave, Forestspeaker, it must be now,” Moonlight urged.

Forestspeaker straightened and dipped her head. “So be it. I will plead our case before the Tribe of Gathering.” She glanced at the medicine cat. “Be careful, Bubblenose.”

She touched her tail to the medicine cat’s shoulder briefly, then beckoned to three of her protectors. Those not chosen dipped their heads and tails sadly. Forestspeaker brushed against each cat’s shoulder and mewed encouragingly. Brownmoss selected two of the camp-guards to stay behind with the remaining protectors and Bubblenose, leaving the remaining camp-guard and the apprentice with him.

The LightClan cats moved past the damp stones and into the cavern, leading the way for Frog and the ForestClan cats. “Stay close,” Moonlight admonished softly over his shoulder.

Brownmoss moved next to him, dark face intense. “We’ll need more warriors if we want a chance at getting out.” He pointed with his tail to where a group of ForestClan cats were being held captive in a corner of the cavern by a patrol of FieldClan cats. There was a mix of warriors and apprentices. “There.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Sunpaw declared, and veered toward the ForestClan captives.

Moonlight and the rest moved on, striding boldly across the cavern, moving directly toward the tunnel, ignoring the FieldClan warriors who moved to intercept them. Moonlight took note of the fact the tunnel itself had no warriors immediately standing guard. More FieldClan cats were closing in on them, curious without yet being alarmed.

“Don’t stop for anything,” he mewed to the ForestClan leader, and he braced himself for battle.

They were barely three fox-lengths from the tunnel when the nearest of the FieldClan warriors challenged them. “Where are you going?” he asked with a low rumble.

“Get out of the way,” Moonlight ordered. “I am an ambassador for Lionstar of the Tribe of Gathering, and I am taking these cats to the Gathering Place.”

The FieldClan tom unsheathed his claws quickly and moved to block the LightClan sage’s passage. “You are coming with me!”

He was taken down in seconds, pelt sliced and burned by Moonlight’s now-glowing claws. More of the FieldClan warriors rushed to stop the LightClan tom, who stood alone against them as his charges raced for the tunnel. Brownmoss and the ForestClan former camp-guards formed a protective barrier for the ForestClan leader and her protectors as they hurried into the tunnel. Frog scrambled after, keeping as low to his belly as his long legs could allow. The sounds of battle, though muffled by the falling water, quickly filled the room.

On the far side of the cavern, Sunpaw launched himself at the FieldClan warriors holding the other ForestClan cats hostage, cutting into them with determination. Moonlight watched his progress while withstanding yet another rush of warriors attempting to chase after the ForestClan leader. Sunpaw was running toward him now, freed ForestClan cats in tow. Yowls of anger and pain were all around them. Some of the ForestClan cats fell, but the FieldClan warriors were unable to slow the LightClan apprentice.

Moonlight yowled sharply to Sunpaw as he went past, telling him to get the ForestClan cats through the tunnel. More FieldClan cats were approaching from outside the Great Waterfall, ready for battle. Moonlight backed quickly into the tunnel. One powerful slash brought down dirt and stone, blocking the entrance.

The others had gotten fairly far ahead when Moonlight finally caught up to the group and flung himself to the front of the group. An older, light brown tabby tom was leading them through the tunnel. A light suddenly entered their sights up ahead. “Just ahead,” the tom mewed.

The group shot out of the tunnel and into the sunlight, heading away from Green-Trees and towards a river that formed part of the ForestClan boundary. They spotted a couple of FieldClan patrols in the distance as they paused to catch their breaths.

Moonlight padded over to the tom that had led them.

“Owlwing,” the other announced with a quick glance over at the LightClan tom. “Thanks for helping out back there.”

Moonlight dipped his head. “Better save your thanks until we deal with what’s up ahead.”

The ForestClan warrior licked a forepaw and ran it over his ear rakishly. “Understood. What do we do about that lot? I don’t think they’ll stop to hear us out.”

“We’re past the point of talking. Just move forward as fast as possible.” Moonlight turned to Sunpaw. “Make sure everyone is ready to run.” His eyes moved to where Frog was sprawled out on the ground with his eyes half-closed.

The younger tom moved quickly to haul the Tribe cat up by his scruff, ignoring Frog’s protests. He let go and fixed him with a meaningful stare. “Stay here,” he directed, “or be prepared to keep up. No time for lounging. And stay out of the way!”

Frog found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he had never come along on this journey to begin with. He was scrambling to keep up with the Clan cats as they raced determinedly toward the river. He saw one of the enemy cats turn in their direction.

“Oh, oh, oh,” he moaned, glancing around to see if any other cat noticed.

The FieldClan cat sent up a yowl, alerting the rest of the patrol. Frog’s companions increased their speed. Another patrol moved to block them off as the first raced down the hill to attack from a different angle.

“We doomed,” the frightened Tribe cat squeaked. “It’s bad business, this.”

The would-be escapees didn’t pause. They moved to meet the enemy cats without a sound. As the two groups clashed, Frog did his best to keep out of the way. He didn’t want to be a coward, but he didn’t think he should try to fight, either. The younger LightClan tom didn’t like him much as it was. The tom would like him a whole lot less if Frog got in the way of the more experienced warriors.

The ForestClan cats were determined to keep moving for the river, seeing a log that had fallen and formed a path over it. But the FieldClan warriors had them outnumbered and would not back down. As the group struggled to get past the patrols one of the apprentices, a red and white she-cat, took a raking blow to her side and collapsed unmoving to the ground.

Another apprentice, a blue and white tabby tom, saw her fall. He paused, eyes wide with shock, then turned and charged past Frog, screeching a battle-cry that caused the Tribe cat to jerk away in fright.

After a quick glance around at the battle, Frog’s ears and tail dropped in despair. Then he moved to pull the injured apprentice toward the log.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as a reminder: if you would like me to mention which character is which, please let me know in the comments section. I would really like to know.


	6. Hiding Places and Cat Hunts

Sunpaw raced to Moonlight’s side as the battle engaged in full. He could see the log bridge just a fox-length away from them. The ForestClan cats were horribly outnumbered. Owlwing staggered into him under a blow to his side, but managed to send his opponent into a retreat.

“We need to keep moving!” the tom yowled at Moonlight, who was taking down another FieldClan warrior. “We can’t withstand much more of this!”

“Keep advancing,” the LightClan tom order calmly. He flicked his tail to indicate himself and his apprentice. “Can you make it if we create an opening?”

“Of course we can!” Brownmoss hissed, tail lashing angrily as he brought down a FieldClan tom who’d gotten too close. “We’re not a violent Clan, which is why FieldClan was brave enough to attack in the first place! But we can still hold our own!”

One of the other ForestClan warriors fell, followed by another. They were losing.

“We’d best move fast,” Moonlight breathed. Sunpaw felt the weight of his mentor’s gaze as it shifted to find him, steady and unwavering. The LightClan sage leaned into Owlwing’s ear. “As soon as we clear the way, run. Don’t stop. Just keep going.”

The ForestClan warriors dipped their heads, and the LightClan cats shot forward. The FieldClan cats blocking the groups path fell back with burning pelts. The rest of the group raced through the gap and onto the log, less injured cats carrying badly injured ones. The Tribe cat was even helping by carrying one badly wounded and unconscious apprentice. Only when the last ForestClan cat had crossed did Moonlight and Sunpaw make their own escape. As they flew across the log and down to the other side, Owlwing looked fearfully back at the FieldClan cats.

“They’re following us!” the ForestClan warrior mewed quietly.

Sure enough, the FieldClan cats started climbing onto the log and moving across.

“Knock down the tree!” Owlwing yowled, and lunged for the roots.

A number of other cats hurried to join him. Together they began to dig into the ground beneath the tree in an attempt to move it. Forestspeaker directed the others to move the wounded farther away while the LightClan cats stood guard. The digging cats moved frantically as the FieldClan warriors got closer to the end.

At last the ground began to crumble beneath the tree’s weight, causing the digging cats to scramble out of the way. Their hope turned to horror as the tree shifted down then stopped just short of falling into the fast-moving river. The blue and white apprentice looked down at the tree, and dove down to disappear beneath the branches. The older cats watched with their hearts in their throats.

The wait seemed to stretch for moons as the FieldClan cats, recovered from their consternation at the tree’s initial movement, approached their side of the river. Just as the ForestClan cats began to lose hope they heard a huge groan from the tree, causing the FieldClan cats to freeze in place then turn to flee. With a deafening crack, the tree rolled and fell into the river taking a number of unfortunate FieldClan cats with it. The ForestClan apprentice, who had managed to avoid being dragged down by the tree, clawed his way up to the rest of the group. He was greeted with triumphant yowls from his Clanmates and Owlwing let out a purr of approval. “Well done,” he meowed. He turned and led them after the rest of the group. The LightClan cats took one final look back to ensure they wouldn’t be followed, then moved to join them.

Brownmoss hailed them from a makeshift den beneath an overhang as rain began to fall. They hurried inside and shook the water from their pelts. The injured cats were being cared for by the other cats. To one side of the den, the bodies of those who hadn’t survived their wounds had been laid solemnly out for burial later. 

Moonlight looked around before turning to Owlwing, who was sitting near the entrance with Brownmoss. He padded over to them.

Owlwing was flicking his tail doubtfully. “We can’t go far. There are too many injured cats and too few herbs.”

Moonlight dipped his head at him. “We’ll have to find somewhere to lay low until we’re recovered enough to make the full journey. What’s out there?”

The ForestClan warriors considered the question, leaning close to discuss options quietly.

Sunpaw, who had overheard the question, bounded over. “Mentor,” he meowed, quickly thinking over the areas he knew of and picking out the only choice that made sense, “the Great-Sand-Place. It’s out of the way, mostly isolated. It attracts little attention. FieldClan doesn’t go anywhere near there.”

"How can you be sure?” Brownmoss asked quickly.

Moonlight glanced at him. “It’s home to DesertClan.”

Brownmoss started in alarm. “DesertClan?”

“It’s risky,” Sunpaw agreed, “but there’s no reasonable alternative.”

Brownmoss was not convinced. “You can’t take Forestspeaker there! DesertClan is just a pack of honorless rogues! If they discovered who she was –”

“It would be no different than if we hid out in territory allied with FieldClan,” Moonlight interrupted, “except DesertClan isn’t looking for Forestspeaker, which gives us an advantage.”

The ForestClan tom started to retort, then thought better of it. He took a deep breath instead, lashing his tail in frustration, and turned away.

Within the hidden area of the FieldClan medicine cat den, Newtstar and Hawkfur sat side by side staring nervously at the hazy image of Darkshadow over the glowing Starstone. The DarkClan cat had not been summoned. The FieldClan cats would have been happy if he had chosen not to communicate with them at all this day. But in keeping with the way he always seemed to sense when things were not going right, he had appeared on his own. Demanding a report on the progress of the invasion, he had settled back to listen to Newtstar’s narrative and had said nothing since.

“We control most of ForestClan’s territory already,” the FieldClan leader was relating, “and we are searching for any other groups that might offer resistance –”

“Yes, yes,” Darkshadow interrupted suddenly, his soft voice vaguely impatient. “You’ve down well. Now, then. Destroy all their high-ranking warriors. Do so quietly, but be thorough.” He paused. “What of Forestspeaker? Has she agreed to the pact?”

Newtstar took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “She has disappeared, Darkshadow. There was an escape –”

“An escape?” the DarkClan tom hissed.

“One small group of cats got past the blockade –”

“How did she escape, Newtstar?”

Newtstar looked at Hawkfur for help, but his deputy was paralyzed with fear. “The LightClan cats, Darkshadow. They found their way to her, overpowered her guards …”

Darkshadow stirred, shadows shifting with the angry lashing of his tail. “Newtstar, find her! I want that pact made!”

“Darkshadow, we have been unable to locate them,” the FieldClan leader admitted, wishing he could sink into the ground right then and there.

“Newtstar!”

“Once they got past the patrols, we tried to give pursuit, but they managed to elude us! Now they’re out of our reach –”

A wave of a shadowy tail cut him short. “Not for a DarkClan cat, they aren’t,” the other hissed.

Something shimmered in the background of the image, and a figure emerged from the darkness behind Darkshadow. Newtstar froze. It was a second DarkClan cat. But whereas Darkshadow was a vague and shadowy presence, this new cat was truly terrifying to look upon. He was covered with jagged scars that matched his black-striped red tabby pelt, the sharp ends of longer than normal fangs could be easily seen, and his pointed ears had tall tufts of black fur that rose above the tips. Gleaming yellow eyes fixed on the FieldClan cats, breaking past their defenses and dismissing them as insignificant and mouse-brained.

“Newtstar,” Darkshadow mewed softly in the sudden silence, “this is my apprentice, Darkmaul. He will find your lost cats.”

Newtstar dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, averting his eyes from the frightening presence. “Yes, Darkshadow.”

The image shimmered and disappeared, leaving the den empty of sound. The FieldClan cats sat without moving, without even looking at each other, eyes fixed on the Starstone that was no longer glowing.

“This is getting out of paw,” Newtstar ventured finally, his voice tight and kit-like, thinking that their plans for sabotaging the travel-routes law did not contemplate risking their lives in the process.

Hawkfur licked his chest quickly. “We should not have made this bargain. What will happen when LightClan becomes aware that we are doing business with DarkClan?”

Newtstar, looking down at his paws, did not care to venture an answer.

In the makeshift den, the LightClan cats stood with Brownmoss and the blue and white apprentice as Owlwing gave his report to the ForestClan leader on the events surrounding their escape from the FieldClan patrols and the destruction of the bridge that ensured they couldn’t be followed. Forestspeaker sat flanked by her three protectors, brown eyes steady, listening as the warrior concluded.

“We are lucky to have such an apprentice in our Clan, Forestspeaker.” Owlwing beckoned to the apprentice with his tail. “He is a very bold and clever cat. Without a doubt, he saved all of our pelts back there.”

Forestspeaker dipped her head. “He is to be commended.” Her eyes shifted to the apprentice, who looked both proud and embarrassed by the praise. “The previous Forestspeaker performed your apprenticeship ceremony, yes? What is your name?”

The young cat straightened. “Yes, Forestspeaker,” he squeaked, surprised at being addressed directly. “My name is Bluepaw.”

Forestspeaker leaned forward touched his forehead with her slender, clay-covered tail. “Thank you, Bluepaw. You have proven yourself both loyal and brave.” She looked at the paw he was keeping off of the ground, then glanced over her shoulder. “Berryheart.”

One of her protectors came forward. Moonlight, listening to the exchange with half an ear as he considered the problems that lay ahead in the Great-Sand-Place, noticed it was the young she-cat who had supported the ForestClan leader’s decision to escape from Green-Trees. His eyes narrowed. Except, it hadn’t been exactly like that …

“See to this apprentice’s injuries.” The ForestClan leader was instructing the she-cat. “Bluepaw deserves our gratitude.” She turned to Brownmoss. “What more is there to report, Brownmoss?”

Brownmoss, glancing uncomfortably at the LightClan cats, stepped forward. “Forestspeaker, we are considering heading for a territory called the Great-Sand-Place.” He paused, unwilling to continue further on the matter.

Moonlight stepped smoothly into the gap. “It is a territory far beyond the range of FieldClan. Once there, we will be able to hide out until our wounded are fully healed, then gather enough travelling herbs to continue on to the Gathering Place and complete our journey.”

“Forestspeaker,” Brownmoss mewed quickly, regaining his thoughts on the matter. “The Great-Sand-Place is very dangerous. It’s controlled by DesertClan. DesertClan is a group of rogues. I do not agree with the LightClan cats on their decision to hide there.”

The ForestClan leader looked at Moonlight. The LightClan tom did not waver. “You must trust my judgement, Forestspeaker.”

“Must I?” Forestspeaker asked quietly. She shifted her gaze to her protectors, ending with Berryheart. The she-cat had not moved from her leader’s side, but seemed to remember suddenly she had been given a task to complete. She dipped her head briefly to the ForestClan leader, and moved to lead Bluepaw away.

Forestspeaker looked back at Moonlight. “We are in your paws,” she advised, and the matter was settled.

Frog had huddled in a far corner of the den, watching the other cats mingled with each other. None of them seemed to have any instructions regarding the Tribe cat, so they simply left him to his own devices. At first Frog was reluctant to venture near the group, still thinking of the younger LightClan tom’s admonishment to stay out of the way. He wasn’t sure he wanted to tempt fate.

But in the end his curiosity and restlessness got the better of him. Every cat was settled, FieldClan wasn’t immediately coming after them, and everything was peaceful. All of the other cats were pulling their weight, and the Tribe cat saw no reason why he should stay isolated in his corner for one more moment.

So he carefully got up, looked around, saw that no cat was paying him in any heed, and made his decision. He picked a direction and started wandering around – choosing areas where he was less likely to attract the attention of the LightClan cats. He expected some cat to send him back to his corner, but no cat did, so he began to wander a little more freely and stick his nose into every corner of the den. He stuck his head into on of the smaller areas dug into the wall of the den and found one of the ForestClan leader’s personal protectors tending to a younger cat with an injured paw.

“Heyday ho!” he meowed.

Both cats started and spun to face him, the she-cat with a startled cry and the apprentice with a pained yowl as he put pressure on his paw. Frog jumped in turn, then slowly slunk through the opening, embarrassed that he had frightened them so badly.

“Me sorry,” he apologized. “Me not mean to scare you. Okay?”

The she-cat settled back. “That’s all right,” she mewed. “Come over here.”

Frog padded forward a few steps as she turned back to the apprentice, who was eyeing him curiously. The Tribe cat studied the condition of the young tom’s paw. “Me find cobwebs and yarrow back there. You need it?”

The she-cat dipped her head. “It would help. If you don’t mind fetching it?”

Frog scrambled back through the opening, bumbled about a bit, found the herbs and cobwebs he had remembered, and brought them back to the she-cat. “This helps?”

“Thank you,” she mewed, accepting the offerings. She carefully applied them to the apprentice’s paw, applying the yarrow then carefully wrapping the cobwebs to hold it in place.

“Me Frog That Leaps From Stone,” Frog mewed after a few moments, taking a chance on trying to continue the conversation. He liked this ForestClan she-cat.

“I’m Berryheart,” the she-cat answered. “I protect the ForestClan leader, Forestspeaker. This is Bluepaw.”

Bluepaw blinked at Frog. “You’re the cat that helped my sister Robinpaw, right? Thank you.”

Berryheart studied Frog closely. “You’re from the Tribe of Deep Waters, aren’t you?” Frog bobbed his head while Bluepaw’s eyes widened in awe. “How did you end up here with us?”

Frog thought about it a moment. “Me not know exactly. The day started okay with the sunup. Me munching clams. Then, whoa! Field-cats every which way, they chasing, they attacking … Me get very scared. Then light-cats running, and me run after Moonlight, then field-cats running past, then go across the lake to Tribe of Deep Waters camp to Mud …”

He stopped, not knowing where else to go. Berryheart touched his shoulder with her tail encouragingly. Bluepaw leaned forward. “It’s about it. Before me know what, whoa! Me here!”

He sat back, licked a forepaw and ran it over his ear. “Get very, very scared.”

He looked from the she-cat to the apprentice. Berryheart purred. Bluepaw flopped down and pricked his ears eagerly. Frog felt pretty good.

As the sun rose the next day, the group buried their dead Clanmates and started their journey. They moved slowly to accommodate the wounded cats, stopping frequently to rest, hunt, and check for infected wounds. They stayed on constant watch for FieldClan, but were slowly reassured that no cats were following them.

It took almost a full moon before they scaled a barren, rocky hill and found themselves staring out at a vast plain of sand, gleaming in the moon’s light. There were no trees or really anything green as far as their eyes could see.

“The Great-Sand-Place,” Sunpaw confirmed, addressing no cat in particular.

Owlwing looked about, then pointed with his tail. “There’s a ravine over there that we can hide in. And look there, is that a camp of some sort?” The area in question was the only location that seemed to have any large amount of water at all. They noticed some cats roaming about among what looked like dens. The ForestClan warrior glanced at the LightClan cats.

“Let’s head to the ravine,” Moonlight decided. “Remember, we don’t want to attract attention.”

The sun was rising as they reached the ravine. To their relief, there was a stream with good water flowing through it. The cats settled themselves in a cave large enough for all of them that had usable side passages.

Moonlight sent his apprentice to double-check their herb supplies while he considered what they would need in regards to proper travelling herbs. As he moved toward the entrance, resigned to heading to the camp alone, he caught sight of Frog, the ForestClan leader’s protector Berryheart, and a pair of apprentices.

He slowed, considering the possibility that going into the camp alone would make him more noticeable. “Frog,” he meowed finally. “Get ready. You’re going with me.”

“Can I come too?”

The LightClan tom recognized the eager apprentice as the one who’d been commended by Forestspeaker.

Bluepaw’s eyes were wide and pleading. “My paw’s all healed and I can keep up and help!”

Moonlight debated with himself. “If your mentor gives you permission,” he decided. Then he continued on without looking back.

Bluepaw immediately raced off to find Owlwing. The Tribe cat was staring after Moonlight in disbelief, then in horror. By the time he regained his wits, the LightClan tom was out of view. Whimpering in dismay, he bolted after him and almost stumbled directly into Sunpaw.

“Sunpaw!” he gasped, having fallen flat on his belly in front of the younger LightClan cat. “Please, me no go with Moonlight!”

Sunpaw was inclined to agree, but knew better than to admit it. “Sorry, but Moonlight is right. In this area, lone cats are seen as easy targets. You’ll make other cats think twice about attempting to attack him if you go along.” His ears flattened slightly as he turned away. “I hope,” he mewed to himself.

Frog climbed to his paws and trudged disconsolately toward the cave entrance, his tail dragging on the ground. Bluepaw scampered up to him and, upon noticing his misery, butted his shoulder encouragingly.

Moonlight sat quietly just inside, tail curled around his paws and eyes closed in concentration. His Force-Crystal was hidden beneath a mound of leaves and cobwebs. He turned an ear toward Sunpaw as he padded up and sat next to him. “What have you found?”

Sunpaw’s young face clouded. “We have just enough to tend to injuries but not enough travelling herbs. We’ve either not enough or none at all. We’re also running low on tansy and catmint.”

“I thought as much.” The LightClan sage looked down at his apprentice. “Well, we can’t go very far without them and we dare not go searching for them outside of here. We’ll have to hope that a cat here is either kind enough to give us some or at least is willing to trade for them.” He lowered his voice so he couldn’t be overheard. “Don’t let any cat leave this ravine while I’m gone. Be wary, Sunpaw. I sense a disturbance in the Force.”

Sunpaw’s eyes lifted to find his. “I feel it also, Mentor. I will be careful.”

Moonlight rose, gestured to Frog and Bluepaw, and headed out of the tunnel and up out of the ravine. The empty sand stretched on and on in all directions, broken only by massive rock formations and the distant camp. The hot sun beat down on them as if to steal whatever life managed to survive it. Heat rose off the sand in a shimmering wave, and the air was so dry it sucked the moisture from their throats and noses.

Frog glanced skyward, ears tilted in dismay. “This sun going to do murder to the pelt of this Tribe cat,” he mewed.

At a signal from Moonlight, they began to walk. Some small prey scurried about from one patch of shade to the other. In the distance, the shapes of cats and dens appeared against the distant skyline like a shadowy haze, all misshapen and threatening to disappear in the blink of an eye. Frog complained some more, but the others didn’t pay him any attention.

They had not gotten far when a yowl brought them around. Two figures were running toward them from the ravine. As they neared, Moonlight was able to recognize Brownmoss and a she-cat. He stopped and waited until they caught up, ears tilted back in annoyance.

Brownmoss was panting. “Forestspeaker commands you to take her protector with you. She wishes for Berryheart to give her own report of what you might –”

“No more commands from Forestspeaker today, Brownmoss,” Moonlight interrupted quickly, flicking his tail in refusal. “This camp will not be a pleasant place for –”

“Forestspeaker wishes it,” Brownmoss interrupted him right back, his ears pinned and his tail lashing. “She is emphatic. She wishes to know more about these cats.”

The she-cat took a step forward. Her brown eyes found Moonlight’s. “I’m trained to fight. I am not afraid. I can take care of myself.”

Brownmoss sighed, looking back toward the ravine. “Don’t make me go back and tell her you refuse.”

Moonlight hesitated, prepared to do exactly that. Then he looked at Berryheart again, saw strength in her eyes, and changed his mind. She might be useful. Traveling with a she-cat, they might suggest a wandering family and present a less aggressive look while remaining protected in numbers.

He dipped his head. “I don’t have time to argue the matter, Brownmoss. I still think this is a bad idea, but she may come.” He gave Berryheart a look of warning. “Stay close to me.”

He started away again, the others trailing. Brownmoss stood watching with undisguised relief as the strange procession of LightClan sage, ForestClan leader’s personal protector, Tribe of Deep Waters cat, and ForestClan apprentice moved off into the scorching landscape toward the distant camp.


	7. Trading Worries and Serf-Cats

It was not yet sunhigh when the members of the little group led by Moonlight reached the cluster of dens and made their way toward the center. The camp, if that’s what it was, was large and sprawling and had the look of a coiled serpent hunkered down to escape the heat. The dens were made from stone, thick and shaded from the sun. Cats of all sorts roamed everywhere they looked.

Moonlight kept a close watch for trouble. There were loners and especially rogues whose purpose was always suspect. Most of the cats they passed paid them no notice. One or two turned to glance at the group, but ultimately dismissed them upon closer examination. As a group, they blended in nicely. There were so many cats that the appearance of few more meant almost nothing.

“Great-Sand-Place is home to DesertClan, which controls the bulk of the more nefarious happenings and lives of the other cats that live here, prey-stealing, serf-cat conscription, and the like,” Moonlight was explaining to Berryheart. He had been to Great-Sand-Place before, though it had been some moons ago. “Jab, the group’s leader, controls the heavily populated areas. The desert at large belongs to the Tribe of Wandering Sands, who scavenge whatever they can find to trade, and to different groups of rogues, who live as nomads and feel free to steal from others.”

The LightClan tom kept his voice low and conversational. The she-cat walked silently at his shoulder, her sharp eyes taking in everything. Cats gave them a wide berth as they continued on.

“There are a few Twoleg dens, some occupied, most abandoned, near water-sources farther out that act as homes for some friendlier loners, not connected directly to DesertClan.” His eyes swept the path ahead. “This is a rough place. Most avoid it. Its few encamped areas have become havens for those who do not wish to be found.”

Berryheart glanced at him. “Like us,” she mewed.

Frog stayed as close as he could the LightClan tom and the she-cat, his eyes darting left and right, head swiveling as if it might twist off his shoulders. Nothing he saw was familiar or welcome. Hard looks followed after him. Sharp eyes measured him for things he would just a soon not think about. Stares were at best challenging and at worst unfriendly. He did not like this place. He wished he were almost anywhere else.

“It’s very bad, this.” He swallowed against a dryness in his throat that was caused by more than the heat. “Nothing good about this place!”

Bluepaw trotted cheerfully along at his side, chattering in a futile effort at reassuring the Tribe cat that all was well.

They traveled the main pathway of the camp to its far end and turned down a side path that led to a small open area ringed with dens filled with a large variety of things. Moonlight glanced at the mounds of old Twoleg things and dried herbs.

“We’ll try one of these smaller dens first,” he advised, pointing his muzzle toward one in which a vast store of herbs was heaped within a secondary chamber.

They walked through the den’s entrance and were greeted by a pudgy blue-grey cat who trotted right up to them and faced them with his long tail raised. “What do you want?” he demanded in a guttural voice.

Moonlight could tell that this cat was no simple mouse-brain. He would need to tread carefully. “I need a large amount of traveling herbs,” he advised the other.

The smaller cat purred with delight. “Ah, yes! Traveling herbs! We have lots of that.” The sharp brown eyes flicked from one face to the other, ending with the Tribe cat. “Where are you from?”

Frog shrank behind Moonlight fearfully. “Never mind that.” The LightClan cat brushed the loner’s question aside. “Can you help us or not?”

“Can you bargain with me or not – that’s the question!” The long, skinny tail lifted in defiance as the loner regarded them with disdain. “What kinds of herbs you after, stranger?”

“It’s quite a large inventory and will take a bit of time to recite,” Moonlight advised the other with a glance down at the curious apprentice next to him.

Still standing directly in front of Moonlight’s nose, the loner glanced behind him. “Kit! Get in here now!”

A small, disheveled kit about six moons old raced in from another chamber in the den, coming to an uncertain stop in front of them. His light brown fur was covered in dust and bits of herbs down to his distinctive white paws, and he had the look of a cat about to be given a slap. He flinched as the loner whirled back and lifted a paw in admonishment.

“What took you so long?”

The kit responded quickly, blue eyes taking in the newcomers with a fast glance. “I was cleaning the drying stones like you –”

“Never mind that!” The tom lashed his tail angrily. “Watch the den! I’ve got some trading to do!”

He turned back to face his visitors. “So, let me take you to the back. You’ll soon find what you need.”

He darted toward the back chamber, beckoning Moonlight eagerly. The LightClan tom followed, with Bluepaw trotting after. Frog moved to a shelf and started poking at one of the strange Twoleg objects on it, intrigued by its shape, wondering what it was.

“Don’t touch anything,” Moonlight meowed over his shoulder, his tone sharp.

Frog lowered his paw and flattened his ears, hissing quietly at Moonlight’s back in defiance. When the LightClan tom was out of sight, he poked at the thing again.

Sky could not take his eyes off the she-cat. He noticed her the moment he entered the main area of Dare’s den, even before Dare uttered anything, and he hadn’t been able to stop looking at her since. He barely heard what Dare told him about watching the den. He barely noticed the odd cat with too-big paws that had come in with her and was poking around in the shelves. Even after she noticed he was staring at her, he could not help himself.

He moved now to one side of a long open ledge near the entrance, clambered up, and sat watching her while pretending to clean his fur. She was looking back at him now, embarrassment turning to curiosity. She was small and slender with a long tail, soft, flowing white fur, brown eyes, and a face he found so beautiful that he had nothing to which he could compare it. She had some sand in her fur, but she seemed very self-possessed.

She purred in amusement at the clumsy tom who’d walk in with her, and he felt himself melting at the sound. He took a deep breath. “Are you from SkyClan?” he asked quietly.

The she-cat stared. “What?”

“SkyClan.” Sky straightened a bit. “They lived up on top of Tall-Snow-Rocks, I think. They were the most beautiful cats to ever live. They were good and kind, and so pretty they make even the most vicious rogues cry like kits.”

She gave him a confused look. “I’ve never heard of SkyClan,” she mewed.

“You must be one of them,” Sky insisted. “Maybe you just don’t know it.”

“You’re a funny little kit.” The amused purr returned. “How do you know so much?”

Sky purred back and ran a paw over his ear. “I listen to all of the traveling cats who come through here.” He glanced toward the back. “I’m an explorer, you know. Someday, I’m going to leave this place for good.”

The she-cat wandered over to one side of the ledge he was sitting on, looked away, then back again. “Have you been here long?”

“Since I was very little – a half-moon, I think. My mother and I were traded to Growl of DesertClan, but she lost us to Dare, betting on the Sand Dune Races. Dare’s a lot better master, I think.”

She stared at him in shock. “You’re a serf-cat?”

The way she uttered it made Sky feel ashamed and annoyed. He lifted his tail defiantly. “I am just a cat!”

“I’m sorry,” she mewed quickly, looking upset and embarrassed. “I don’t fully understand, I guess. This is a strange place to me.”

He licked his fur quickly, embarrassed in turn over his outburst. He studied her intently for a moment, thinking of other things, wanting to tell her of them. “You’re a strange cat to me,” he mewed instead. He draped his tail off the ledge. “My name is Sky.”

She licked her chest-fur. “Berryheart.”

The strange cat she had come in with wandered back to the front of the den and bent over a strange Twoleg thing with a weird shape almost like a vole head with a strange nub between its ears. Reaching up curiously, he batted at the nub with a paw. Instantly the thing started shaking and tumbled off the ledge. A shrill screech came out of it as it bounced around on the ground. Berryheart’s odd companion went after it with a moan of dismay, pouncing on it in an attempt to stop it only to trip on his over-sized paws, knocking over everything he bumped into before finally pinning the loud thing down.

“Hit the nub between its ears!” Sky called out, unable to keep himself from twitching his whiskers with amusement.

The tom did as he was told, swatting the nub wildly. The Twoleg thing stopped at once, the shaking stopped, and the screeching died away. Both Sky and Berryheart were mrrowing with laughter now, and got louder as they saw the look on the poor cat’s face.

Sky looked at Berryheart and the she-cat at him. Their mirth died away. The she-cat started grooming her ear self-consciously, but she did not divert her gaze.

“We’re going to be mates,” the kit meowed suddenly.

There was a moment of silence, and she mrrowed with more laughter, a sweet musical sound he didn’t mind at all. The cat who accompanied her ran a paw over his face.

“I mean it,” he insisted.

“You are an odd one,” she mewed, mirth dying away. “Why do you say that?”

He hesitated. “I guess because it’s what I believe …”

Her warm eyes were dazzling. “Well, I’m afraid we can’t be mates, Sky.” She tilted her head. “You’re just a kit.”

His gaze was intense as he faced her. “I won’t always be,” he mewed quietly.

In the back part of the den, Dare was looking over his herb inventory. Moonlight, tail curled over his paws, sat waiting patiently, Bluepaw at his side.

“Ah, here it is. Tansy!” The loner turned back to look at the LightClan tom. “You’re in luck. I’m the only one around here who carries that. That being said, how do you plan to trade for all of this?”

Moonlight considered. “I have a surplus of forest herbs to put towards –”

“Forest herbs?” Dare curled his long tail in disgust. “Those are of no use out here! I need something better than that, something of value …”

The LightClan sage flicked an ear. “I don’t have anything else.” He leaned closer to the pudgy blue tom. “What would you count as valuable?”

“Twoleg things! Sand-moss! Things that are hard to come by but won’t die in less than three sunrises!” Dare spat, tail lashing.

Moonlight lowered his ears and flicked his tail, debating whether to attempt a mind trick. A long look at the stubborn gleam in the other cat’s eyes, and a glance at the worried apprentice next to him made his decision for him.

Chagrined, Moonlight whirled back to the shop, the ForestClan apprentice following at his heels. The loner yowled after them to come back when they had something to trade. “You won’t find another trading-den with catmint, I can promise you that!”

Moonlight reentered the main area just as Frog nudged something from a large pile and knocked the whole thing over. His efforts at correcting it brought a second pile crashing down as well. The kit and Forestspeaker’s protector were deep in discussion, paying no attention to the Tribe cat.

“We’re leaving,” Moonlight announced to the she-cat, moving toward the den’s entry, the apprentice trotting along behind.

Frog was quick to follow, anxious to escape his latest mess. Berryheart touched her tail to the kit’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. “I’m glad I met you, Sky,” she mewed, turning after them.

“I’m glad I met you, too,” he meowed after, a reluctance evident in his voice.

Dare stalked in from the back, ears back in disgust. “Outsiders! They think because we live so far from everything, we know nothing!”

Sky was still staring longingly after Berryheart, his gaze fixed on the empty opening. “They seemed nice enough to me.”

Dare hissed and turned to stand in his face. “Clean up this mess, then you can go home!”

Sky brightened and went quickly to work, purring as he did.

Moonlight led his companions back through the camp to the main area. At a place where two dens divided to form a shadowed niche, the LightClan sage moved them from view and concentrated on his hidden Force-Crystal. Berryheart and Bluepaw sat waiting patiently, but Frog prowled the space as if trapped, eyes fixed nervously on the cats outside.

When Sunpaw responded to his own Force-Crystal’s pulse, Moonlight quickly filled him in on the situation. _“Are you certain there isn’t anything else of value we can trade?”_ he concluded.

There was a pause before Sunpaw’s voice entered his mind again. “ _The two apprentices here stumbled across a few Twoleg things in one of the other caves, but nothing you could barter with.”_

_“All right,”_ Moonlight responded, ears flattening slightly. _“Another solution will present itself. I’ll check back.”_

He broke the connection, checked that the Force-Crystal was still hidden, and signaled to the others. He was moving toward the open area again when Frog blocked his path.

“Not again, Moonlight,” the Tribe cat pleaded. “The cats hereabouts got bee-brains. We going to be jumped and shredded!”

“Not likely,” Moonlight replied with a sigh, moving around him. “We have nothing of value. That’s our problem.”

They started back through the camp, Moonlight trying to think of what to do next. Berryheart and Bluepaw stayed close as they made their way past multiple groups of cats, but Frog began to lag behind, distracted by both the heat and the strange sights and scents. They were passing by a den partially shielded by Twoleg things, a pile of fresh-kill just inside surrounded by a group of rogues, among them a scarred brown and white tom who was holding forth on the merits of Sand Dune Racing. The Tribe cat glanced hungrily at the fresh-kill pile only to look up for his companions and see they were already out of sight. Frog hurried to catch up to them, but once again tripped over his large paws and fell flat. One of the piles tumbled over into the den and on top of the fresh-kill pile and the rogues lounging around it.

The gangly brown and white rogue leapt to his paws in fury, catching sight of the hapless Frog as he tried to move away from the den. Springing across the mess, he was on top of the Tribe cat in an instant, pinning him down with a paw on his neck.

“You!” the tom snarled. “Is this your doing?”

He pointed out the mess of fresh-kill and Twoleg things with his tail, claws digging in threateningly. Frog couldn’t get any protest out, gasping for breath, fighting to break free. His eyes roamed wildly as he looked for help that wasn’t there. Other cats pushed forward to surround him, rogues and loners alike. The vicious tom let him up only to shove him to the side, yowling at him, crouching to spring again. Desperately, the Tribe cat tried to scramble to safety.

“No, no,” he mewled plaintively as he sought an escape route. “Why me always the one?”

“Because you’re afraid,” a voice answered calmly.

Sky pushed his way through the crowd, coming up to stand next to the rogue. The kit seemed unafraid of the older cat, undeterred by the hard-eyed crowd, his bearing self-assured. He gave the rogue an appraising look. “Careful, Bulb,” he mewed. “This one’s very well connected.”

Bulb turned to face the kit, scarred face showing disdain as he caught sight of the newcomer. “What do you mean, serf-cat?” he hissed demandingly.

Sky flicked his tail. “Connected – as in DesertClan.” The blue eyes fixed on the rogue and saw a hint of fear in the other’s face. “Very connected, this one, Bulb. I’d hate to see you sliced before we had a chance to race again.”

The rogue spit in fury. “Next time we race, worm-cat, it will be the end of you!” His tail lashed violently. “If you weren’t a serf-cat, I’d squash you here and now!”

With a final glare at the cringing Frog, Bulb whirled away, taking his companions with him, back to their meal. Sky stared after the rogue. “Yeah, it’d be a pity if you had to trade for me,” he mewed softly.

He was helping Frog back to his paws when Moonlight, Berryheart, and Bluepaw, having finally missed the Tribe cat, reappeared hurriedly through the crowd.

“Hi!” he greeted cheerfully, happy to see Berryheart again so soon. “Your friend here was about to be turned into vulturefood. He picked a fight with a rogue. An especially dangerous rogue.”

“No, no!” the chagrined Tribe cat insisted, shaking dust and sand from his pelt. “Me hate shredding. It’s the last thing me want!”

Moonlight gave Frog a careful once-over, glanced around at the crowd, and tapped the Tribe cat’s muzzle with a paw. “Nevertheless, the kit saved you from a beating. You have a penchant for finding trouble, Frog.” He gave Sky a short dip of his head. “Thank you, my young friend.”

Berryheart purred warmly at Sky, and the kit felt himself fluff his chest-fur with pride.

“Me doing nothing!” Frog insisted, still trying to defend himself, eyes widened for emphasis.

“You were afraid,” the kit told him, looking up at the older tom solemnly. “Fear attracts the fearful. Bulb was trying to overcome his fear by squashing you.” He tilted his head. “You can help yourself by being less afraid.”

“And that works for you?” Berryheart asked skeptically, twitching her ear wryly.

Sky purred and ran a paw over his ear. “Well … up to a point.”

He quickly grabbed a small piece of a Twoleg pelt that he’d been dragging around since leaving Dare’s trading-den. Anxious to spend as much time as possible with the she-cat, he persuaded the group to follow him a few pawsteps down the path to a den made mostly of sticks. Piles of dried fruits sat in nest-shaped Twoleg things. An old tortoiseshell she-cat, lounging in the den’s shade, heaved herself to her paws to greet them as they approached.

“How are you feeling today, Jira?” Sky asked her, briefly curling his tail around hers.

The old she-cat purred. “The heat’s never been kind to me, you know, Sky.”

“Guess what?” the kit replied quickly, lifting his tail happily. “I’ve found that huge patch of sand-clay I’ve been searching for. It’s a few lizard-lengths away, but I’ll move some over for you in no time, I promise. That should help.”

Jira reached out to touch his shoulder with her nose, her purr getting louder. “You’re a fine kit, Sky.”

Sky licked his chest-fur nonchalantly and began scanning the berry piles. “I’ll take seven wolfberries, Jira.” He glanced at Berryheart eagerly. “You’ll like these.”

He dug around in the Twoleg pelt for the sand-moss he had been saving, but when he pulled them out to give to Jira, he dropped one. The black and white loner, standing next to him, reached out a paw to retrieve it. As he did, the wrapping of leaves and cobwebs on his leg shifted just enough the kit caught sight of the bright green crystal attached to it with a strange vine.

The kit’s eyes went wide, but he masked his surprise by focusing on the balls of sand-moss. He only had six, he found. “Oh, I thought I had more,” he mewed quickly, not looking up. “Make that six wolfberries, Jira. I’m not that hungry anyway.”

The old loner gave him the wolfberries and took the sand-moss from Sky. As he rolled the berries into the pelt, a gust of wind flew through the camp, rattling the sticks and causing the piles to shift. A second gust sent dust swirling in all directions.

Jira shook her pelt. “StarClan, my bones are aching. There’s a storm coming, Sky. You’d better get home quick.”

The wind gusted in a series of sharp blasts that sent sand and loose debris flying. Sky glanced at the sky for a moment, then at Moonlight. “Do you have shelter?” he asked.

The LightClan sage dipped his head. “We’ll head back to our cave. Thank you again, my young friend, for –”

“Is your cave far?” the kit interrupted hurriedly. All around them, cats were dragging things into their dens and blocking the entrances.

“It’s in a ravine past the camp entrance,” Berryheart answered, turning away from the stinging gusts of sand.

Sky nudged her with his shoulder. “You’ll never reach the ravine in time. Sandstorms are very, very dangerous. Come with me. You can wait it out in our den. It’s not far. My mother won’t mind. Hurry!”

With the wind howling all about them and the air clouded with sand, Sky called a muffled goodbye to Jira around the pelt he was dragging and led his newly adopted charges through the camp in a rush.


	8. Introductions and Schemes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the Fourth be with you!

The sandstorm raged through the camp in a blinding, choking whirlwind that tore at pelts with relentless force. Sky pressed his shoulder to Berryheart’s so as not to lose her and her trailing companions, fighting to reach his den in the serf-cats’ section of camp while there was still time. Other cats struggled past, engaged in similar pursuit, heads lowered, faces turned away, bodies crouched and straining. The light turned an odd yellowish-grey, obscured by sand and dirt, and the dens disappeared in a deep, impenetrable haze.

Even as he fought his way through the storm, Sky’s thoughts were directed elsewhere. He was thinking of Berryheart, of having the chance to take her home to meet his family, of being able to show off his collections, of being near her some more. It sent a quiver through him that was both warm and kind of scary. It made him feel good about himself. He was thinking about the tall loner, too – if that’s what he was, which Sky was pretty sure he wasn’t. He had a Force-Crystal, and only LightClan cats had Force-Crystals. It was almost too much to hope for, that a real LightClan cat might be going to his den, to visit him. But Sky’s instincts told him he was not mistaken, and that something mysterious and exciting had brought this little group to him.

He was thinking, finally, of his dreams and his hopes for himself and his family, thinking that maybe something wonderful would come out of this unexpected encounter, something that would change his life forever.

They reached the serf-cats’ dens, a large number of dens clinging together so closely that they resembled many anthills surrounding an open area that was almost empty as the sand-storm chased every cat under cover. Sky led his charges through the gloom to the den entrance and pushed his way inside.

He dropped the berry-filled Twoleg pelt he’d been carrying. “Mom! Mom! I’m home!” he called excitedly.

The dirt walls had small logs with glowing mushrooms and moss embedded into them, lighting the inside of the large space where they stood and trailing into smaller chambers further back. A small pile of fresh-kill was placed in the chamber to their left, while another tunnel to the right wound back and opened into two additional chambers that appeared to be nesting areas.

Outside, the wind howled past the opening, covering the outside of the den with more sand and debris.

Frog looked around with a mix of curiosity and relief. “It’s cozy,” he mewed.

Sky’s mother entered from one of the nesting chambers, shaking moss from her pelt. She was an older queen of 70 moons, her light brown and white fur surprisingly clean for a cat living in such a dusty place. She had once been most graceful, and Sky would say she was graceful still, but time and the demands of her life were catching up with her. Her blue eyes were warm and young as she greeted her son, but it faded quickly as she caught sight of the cats behind him.

“Oh, StarClan!” she meowed softly, glancing uncertainly from face to face. “Sky, what’s this?”

Sky purred. “These are my friends, Mom.” He looked warmly at Berryheart. “This is Berryheart. And this is –” He stopped. “Oh, I guess I don’t know any of your names,” he admitted.

Moonlight stepped forward. “I’m Moonlight, and this is Frog.” He indicated the Tribe cat, who lifted a paw in greeting.

Bluepaw bounded up next to him. “I’m Bluepaw,” he introduced himself.

“He’s a friend’s apprentice,” Berryheart added.

“I’ve got a little brother,” Sky announced quickly, anxious to introduce Berryheart. “You want to meet him?”

“Sky!” His mother’s voice stopped him in his tracks. Her tail lifted in resolve. “Sky, why are they here?”

He looked at her, eyes wide in confusion. “There’s a sandstorm, Mom. Listen.”

She glanced at the entrance, and her ears pricked. The wind howled past, a river of sand and debris.

“Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter,” Moonlight explained. “We met at the trading-den where he works.”

“Come on!” Sky insisted, shoving the pelt into the chamber to the left and nudging Berryheart once more. “Let me introduce you to my brother.”

He led Berryheart toward one of the back chambers of the den, already beginning a detailed explanation of how he’d found the tiny kit by an abandoned Twoleg den and brought him back home. The she-cat followed without arguing, listening attentively. Bluepaw went with them, eager to spend time with another young cat close to his age.

Frog stayed where he was, still looking around, appearing to want some cat to tell him what to do. Moonlight stood facing the kit’s mother in awkward silence. Grains of sand were piling up outside the den rapidly.

“I’m Stalk,” she mewed finally. “We’re pleased to have you as our guests.”

Moonlight had already appraised the situation and determined what was needed. He dipped his head. “I know this is unexpected. We will do our utmost to ensure your family is safe.”

The tension dissipated from her posture. “Thank you.” Her eyes lifted and lowered again. “Thank you very much. I’m sorry if I was abrupt. I’ll never get used to Sky’s surprises, I guess.”

“He’s a very special kit,” Moonlight offered.

Stalk’s eyes lifted again, and the look she gave him suggested they shared an important secret.

“Yes,” she mewed softly, “I know.”

In the nesting chamber his mother had emerged from, Sky was introducing Berryheart to Gold. The 3-moon-old tom had been playing with a twig-ball when they walked in. His fur was a bright yellow and his eyes were an even brighter amber. He looked up at the new cats innocently.

Berryheart gently studied the tiny kit, who blinked at her curiously.

“Isn’t he great?” Sky asked eagerly, anxious for her reaction.

“He’s wonderful,” the she-cat answered, crouching down for a closer look as Bluepaw attempted to see from his position just behind her.

The tom fluffed out his chest-fur. “You really like him? He’s a little shy … but he’s really smart for his age.”

He turned to Gold, who looked from face to face uncertainly. Sky leaned forward and touched the tiny kit’s shoulder with his tail encouragingly.

Gold looked up at the she-cat. “How do you do?” he squeaked nervously.

Berryheart purred. “I’m quite well, thank you.”

Sky licked his chest-fur to stifle his own happy purr at her delight.

Bluepaw finally padded quickly up to the nest. He and Gold studied each other for a moment. “Hi,” the apprentice mewed. “I’m Bluepaw.”

“I’m Gold,” the kit replied, a little more confidently. “You’re really big. Just like my brother.”

Bluepaw mrrowed with laughter. “You’re really small. You’re even smaller than Rosekit, and she’s the smallest kit I know.”

With Gold’s confidence and curiosity came his voice. “Really? Who’s Rosekit? Is she a friend of yours? You’re friends with my brother, right? Do you know how to play toss-the-twig-ball? Are you really fast? I bet you’re not as fast as my brother. He’s the fastest cat ever! …”

Sky and Berryheart failed to stifle their own mirth at the sight of the apprentice’s bemusement as he attempted to answer the tiny kit’s endless stream of questions.

Sky glanced awkwardly at the she-cat. “Dare doesn’t actually know about my brother. I found him after Mom and I started working for Dare. It’s a big secret.”

Berryheart purred. “That’s okay. I’m very good at keeping secrets.”

The storm continued throughout the remainder of the day, engulfing the camp, sand blown in from the desert piling up against the dens, clouding the air, and shutting out the light. Stalk, after checking that there was enough for every cat to eat, went back to the nesting chambers. As she checked on the group in the back and Frog dozed to one side of the main area, Moonlight moved to sit on the other side and surreptitiously contact Sunpaw through his Force-Crystal. He passed along their location and their intent to remain for the night.

 _“The ForestClan cats are recovering well enough,”_ Sunpaw reported. _“We should be able to travel within three sunrises.”_

 _“So long as we can acquire traveling herbs, of course,”_ the LightClan sage mused ruefully. _“Any sign of pursuers?”_

_“No, Mentor, but there are cats who are frightened of what might be going on with their Clanmates. Forestspeaker among them.”_

Moonlight sighed. _“Whatever is happening, we are running out of time,”_ he advised, and ended the communication.

They gathered in the main area to eat soon after, the storm still howling without, an eerie backdrop of sound against the silence within. Moonlight and Berryheart shared a large hare, while Frog and Stalk took a mouse each and the three youngest cats shared another hare. While finally eating the wolfberries they’d brought home, with Gold insisting on sharing his with his brother, Sky, in the way of kits, began explaining about life as a serf-cat, in no way embarrassed to be doing so, thinking of it only as a fact of his life and anxious to share himself with his new friends. Stalk, more protective of her son’s rank, was making an effort to help their guests appreciate the severity of their situation.

“All serf-cats have to roll in a specific combination of herbs and berries every moon to mark their scent,” Stalk was explaining.

“I’ve been trying to find a combination to counter it, but so far no luck,” Sky mewed solemnly.

Stalk flicked an ear. “Any attempt at escape …”

“… and you get tracked down immediately!” the kit finished. “Instant death!”

Frog had been contentedly munching away at his berry, listening with half an ear as he devoured the sweet treat. He overdid it upon hearing this, however, making such a large noise that he stopped conversation altogether. All eyes turned on him momentarily. He lowered his head in embarrassment and pretended not to see.

Berryheart looked back at Stalk. “I can’t believe serf-cats are still being conscripted. The Tribe of Gathering’s laws against conscription should –”

“The Tribe of Gathering has no hold here,” Stalk interrupted quickly, her voice hard. “We must survive on our own.”

There was an awkward silence as Berryheart looked away, not knowing what else to say.

“Have you ever seen a Sand Dune Race?” Sky asked, trying to ease her discomfort.

Berryheart indicated that she hadn’t. She glanced at Stalk, noting the sudden concern on the older she-cat’s face. Frog looked up to ask a question around the chunk in his mouth. A disapproving look from Moonlight quickly silenced him.

“Some settlements in the Bright-Sands-Place have Sand Dune Racing,” the LightClan sage observed. “Very dangerous.”

Sky fluffed out his chest-fur. “I’m the only serf-cat that can do it!” A sharp glance from his mother made him swallowed his purr. “Mom, what? I’m not bragging. It’s true! Dare says he’s never heard of a serf-cat doing it.”

Moonlight studied him carefully. “You must have reflexes like a LightClan cat if you can do that.”

Sky purred loudly at the compliment. Gold looked up at his brother with no small amount of pride. Bluepaw, despite knowing no more about Sand Dune Racing than his Clanmate, was awed enough by Moonlight’s compliment to guess at what exactly such a thing was. Frog covered his own confusion by cleaning his whiskers.

Sky’s young face lifted to Moonlight’s, and his voice was hesitant. “I … I was wondering something.”

The older tom motioned for him to continue.

The kit licked his chest, gathering up his courage. “You’re a LightClan warrior, aren’t you?”

There was a long moment of silence as the two cats stared at each other. “What makes you think that?” Moonlight asked finally.

Sky swallowed. “I saw your Force-Crystal. Only LightClan cats have those.”

Moonlight continued to stare at him, then slowly stretched himself out on the ground and purred. “Perhaps I killed a LightClan cat and stole it from him.”

Sky flicked his ears back quickly. “I don’t think so. No one can kill a LightClan warrior.”

Moonlight’s amusement faded and there was a hint of sadness in his dark blue eyes. “I wish that were so …”

“I had a dream that I was a LightClan warrior,” the kit said quickly, anxious to talk about it now. “I came back and freed all the serf-cats. I dreamed it just the other night.” He paused, his young face expectant. “Have you come to free us?”

Moonlight flicked his tail thoughtfully. “No, I’m afraid not, Sky. We’re on our way to the Gathering Place, where the Tribe of Gathering meets, on a very important mission. It must be kept secret.”

Sky’s eyes widened as he exchanged glances with an equally wide-eyed Gold. “The Gathering Place? Wow! How did you end up all the way out here?”

“Our group was attacked,” Berryheart answered him. “We’re stranded here until we can replenish our stock of traveling herbs.”

“I can help!” the light brown kit announced, anxious to be of service to them. “I can find anything!”

Moonlight purred at his enthusiasm. “I believe that you can, but as you know from our visit to Dare’s trading-den, there are some herbs that can’t just be found out in the desert and therefore need to be acquired from other cats.”

“With nothing to trade,” Frog pointed out sourly.

Berryheart was looking at Moonlight speculatively. “These loners and rogues must have a weakness of some kind.”

“Gambling,” Stalk meowed at once. “Everything in this settlement revolves around gambling on those awful Sand Dune Races.”

Moonlight rose, walked near the entrance, and stared out through the opening at the clouds of windblown sand. “Sand Dune Racing,” he mused. “Greed can be a powerful ally, if it’s used properly.”

Sky leapt to his paws. “I can race!” he declared triumphantly. His blue eyes shone with pride. “There’s a big race sunrise after next. You could enter me in as …”

“Sky, settle down!” his mother meowed sharply, cutting him short. She had risen to her own paws and her eyes were bright with concern. “Dare won’t let you race!”

“Dare doesn’t have to know it’s my idea!” the kit replied quickly, his mind working through the problem.

Bluepaw caught Moonlight’s attention. “You could say that you intended for me to race, but I got hurt and couldn’t …”

“… and then you could convince Dare to let me take his place!” Sky finished the thought.

The LightClan sage had caught the look in Stalk’s eyes. He met her gaze, silently acknowledged her consternation, and waited patiently for her response.

“I don’t want you to race, Sky,” his mother mewed quietly. She lashed her tail to emphasize her words, weariness and concern reflected in her eyes. “It’s awful. I die every time Dare makes you do it. Every time.”

Sky’s ears lowered. “But, Mom, I love it!” He gestured with his tail at Moonlight. “And they need my help. They’re in trouble. The winnings would be more than enough to trade for what they need.”

Frog lifted a paw in support. “We in kind of bad trouble.”

Moonlight walked over to Sky and looked down at him. “Your mother’s right. Let’s drop the matter.” He held the kit’s gaze for a moment, then turned back to his mother. “Do you know of any cat friendly to the Tribe of Gathering who might be able to help us?”

Stalk stood silent and unmoving as she thought the matter through. She lowered her tail and looked away. “No.”

“We have to help them, Mom,” Sky insisted, knowing he was right about this, that he was meant to help the LightClan warrior and his companions. “Remember what you said? You said the biggest problem is that cats don’t help each other.”

Stalk sighed. “Sky, don’t –”

“But you said it, Mom.” The kit refused to back down, his eyes locked on hers.

Stalk made no response this time, her ears lowered, her body still.

“I’m sure Moonlight doesn’t want you to put your son in danger,” Berryheart mewed suddenly, uncomfortable with the confrontation they had brought about between mother and son, trying to ease the tension. “We will find another way …”

Stalk looked over at the she-cat and flicked her tail reluctantly. “No, Sky’s right. There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you.” She paused. “Maybe he was meant to help you.”

She uttered it as if coming to a conclusion that had eluded her until now, as if discovering a truth that, while painful, was obvious.

Gold looked around at every cat’s face. “Is that a yes?” he squeaked, looking over at his brother.

Sky’s eyes lit up and he spun around in glee. “That _is_ a yes!”

Night covered the vast labyrinth of stone near the Gathering Place. Fireflies flitted about, lighting the dark shadows just enough to see by. Long ago, the Gathering Place had once belonged to Twolegs, and now the dens stood broken and abandoned, inhabited partially by Clan mediators and was the center of the Tribe of Gathering’s rule.

A rule that some were intending to end once and for all. A rule that some despised.

Darkshadow stood high on a ledge overlooking the camp, hidden in the darkness like a fiend of the Dark Forest. He stood gazing out at the dens, his eyes directed at the activity happening below, disinterested in his apprentice, Darkmaul, who waited to one side.

His thoughts were of DarkClan and of the history of their Clan.

DarkClan had come into being thousands of seasons ago. They were a Clan given over to the dark side of the Force, embracing fully the concept that power denied was power wasted. A LightClan warrior who had turned rogue had founded DarkClan, a singular dissident in a Clan of harmonious followers, a rebel who understood from the beginning that the real power of the Force lay not in the light, but in the dark. Failing to gain approval for his beliefs from the Council, he had broken with LightClan, departing with his knowledge and his skills, swearing in secret that he could bring down those who had dismissed him.

He was alone at first, but others from LightClan who believed as he did and who had followed him in his study of the dark side soon came over. Others were recruited, and soon the ranks of DarkClan swelled to more than fifty in number. Disdaining the concepts of cooperation and consensus, relying on the belief that acquisition of power in any form lends strength and yields control, DarkClan began to rise in opposition to LightClan. Theirs was not a Clan created to serve; theirs was a Clan created to dominate.

Their war with LightClan was vengeful and furious and ultimately doomed. The former LightClan warrior who had founded DarkClan was its nominal leader, but his ambition excluded any sharing of power. His followers began to conspire against him and each other almost from the beginning, so that the war they instigated was as much with each other as with LightClan.

In the end, the cats of DarkClan destroyed themselves. They destroyed their leader first, then each other. What few survived the initial bloodbath were quickly dispatched by watchful LightClan cats. In a matter of only moons, all of them died.

All but one.

Darkmaul shifted impatiently. The younger DarkClan cat had not yet learned his Master’s patience; that would come with time and training. It was patience that had saved DarkClan in the end. It was patience that would give them their victory now over LightClan.

The DarkClan cat who had survived when all of his Clanmates had died had understood that. He had adopted patience as a virtue when others had forsaken it. He had adopted cunning, stealth, and subterfuge as the foundation of his Way – old LightClan virtues the others had disdained. He stood aside while the cats of DarkClan tore at each other like badgers and were destroyed. When the carnage was complete, he went into hiding, biding his time, waiting for his chance.

When it was believed all of DarkClan was destroyed, he emerged from his concealment. At first he worked alone, but he was growing old and he was the last of his Clan. Eventually, he went out in search of an apprentice. Finding one, he trained him to be a Master in his turn, then to find his own apprentice, and so to carry on their work. But there would only be two at any one time. There would be no repetition of the mistakes of the old Clan, no struggle between DarkClan cats warring for power within the Clan. Their common enemy was LightClan, not each other. It was for their war with LightClan they must save themselves.

The DarkClan cat who recreated the Clan called himself Darkbane.

Many seasons had passed since DarkClan was believed destroyed, and the time they had waited for had come at last.

“Great-Sand-Place is sparsely inhabited.” His apprentice’s rough voice broke into his thoughts, and Darkshadow turned to him. “DesertClan rules. The Tribe of Gathering has no presence. If our theory is correct, Master, I will find them quickly and without hinderance.”

The yellow eyes glimmered with excitement and anticipation in Darkmaul’s dark tabby face as he waited impatiently for a response. Darkshadow was pleased.

“Move against the LightClan cats first,” he advised softly. “You will then have no difficulty taking Forestspeaker back to Green-Trees, where she will agree to the pact.”

Darkmaul let out a hiss of satisfaction. He slowly unsheathed his long claws. “At last we will reveal ourselves to LightClan. At last we will have our revenge.”

“You have been well trained, my young apprentice,” Darkshadow soothed. “The cats of LightClan will be no match for you. It is too late for them to stop us now. Everything is going as planned. The Tribe of Gathering and the Clans it rules will soon be in my control.”

In the silence that followed, the DarkClan tom could feel a dark heat rise inside his chest and consume him with a furious pleasure.

In the den of Sky and his family, Moonlight stood silently at the doorway of the kits’ nesting chamber and watched him sleep. His mother and Berryheart occupied the other nesting chamber, Frog was curled up in the main chamber, snoring loudly, and Bluepaw shared the nest here with Gold and Sky.

But Moonlight could not sleep. It was this kit – this kit! There was something about him. The LightClan sage watched the soft rise and fall of Sky’s ribs as he lay locked in slumber, unaware of Moonlight’s presence. The kit was special, he had told Stalk, and she had agreed. She knew it, too. She sensed it as he did. Sky was different.

Moonlight moved back to the main chamber and lifted his gaze to the opening. The storm had subsided, the wind abated. It was quiet without, the night soft and welcoming in its peace. The LightClan sage thought for a moment on his own life. He knew what they said about him at Council. He was willful, even reckless in his choices. He was strong, but he dissipated his strength on causes that did not merit his attention. But rules were not created solely to govern behavior. Rules were created to provide a path to understanding the Force. Was it so wrong for him to bend those rules when his conscience impressed upon him that he must?

The tall tom sat with his tail wrapped around his paws. The Force was a complex and difficult concept. The Force was rooted in the balance of all things, and every movement within its flow risked an upsetting of that balance. A LightClan cat sought to keep the balance in place, to move cooperatively to its pace and will. But the Force existed on more than one path, and achieving mastery of its multiple passages was a lifetime’s work. Or more. He knew his own weakness. He was too close to the Living Force when he should have been more attentive to the Unifying Force. He found himself reaching out to the creatures of the present, to those living in the here and now. He had less regard for the past or the future, to the creatures that had or would occupy those times and spaces.

It was the Living Force that bound him, that gave him heart and mind and spirit.

So it was he empathized with Sky in ways that other LightClan cats would discourage, finding in this kit a promise he could not ignore. Sunpaw would see the kit and Frog in the same light – useless burdens, pointless projects, unnecessary distractions. Sunpaw was grounded in the need to focus on the larger image, on the Unifying Force. He lacked Moonlight’s intuitive nature. He lacked his mentor’s compassion for and interest in all living things. He did not see the same things Moonlight saw.

Moonlight sighed. This was not a criticism, only an observation. Who was to say that either of them was the better for how they interpreted the demands of the Force? But it placed them at odds sometimes, and more often than not it was Sunpaw’s position the Council supported, not Moonlight’s. It would be that way again, he knew. Many times.

But this would not deter him from doing what he believed he must. He would know the truth about Sky. He would discover his place in the Force, both Living and Unifying. He would learn who this kit was meant to be.

Moments later, he was stretched out on the ground, asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting, due to my workplace opening up enough for me to go back to work I'll be cutting the number of chapters per week down to one for the near future. However, I'm going to try for a double-post next week because it just occurred to me that I didn't post an allegiances and character description chapter, so that'll be going up with the next chapter.


	9. Tracking Cats and Hopeful Kits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you may have noticed, I've added a list of the different groups and characters to the beginning of this fanfic, so the double-post is this chapter and the new first chapter.

The new day dawned bright, the sun blazing down out of a clear blue sky. The sandstorm had moved on to other regions, sweeping the landscape clean of everything but the mountains and rocky outcroppings of the desert and the settlement’s dens. Sky was up and about before his guests stirred awake, eager to get to the trading-den and advise Dare of his plan for the upcoming Sand Dune Race. Moonlight warned him not to be too eager in making his suggestion to the loner, but to stay calm and let Moonlight handle the bargaining. But Sky was so excited he barely heard what the other was saying. The LightClan sage knew it would be up to him to employ whatever mix of cunning and diplomacy was required to achieve their ends.

Greed was the operative word in dealing with Dare, of course.

They walked from the serf-cats’ dens through the settlement to Dare’s trading-den, Sky leading the way, Moonlight and Berryheart close at his tail, Frog and Bluepaw bringing up the rear. The camp was awake and active early, the cats digging and moving away drifts of sand, clearing the entrances to the different trading-dens.

Moonlight let Sky go on ahead to the trading den as they drew near, in order to give the kit a chance to approach Dare on the subject of the Sand Dune Races first. With the others following, the LightClan sage moved to a den with fresh-kill on the other side of the path, persuaded the cat there to part with a few mice, and bided his time. When the mice were consumed, he moved the group across to Dare’s den. Frog, already unsettled anew by all the activity, took a position to one side of the den entrance, his back to the wall, his eyes darting this way and that in anticipation of something awful befalling him. Bluepaw moved over beside him, softly trying to reassure him that everything was okay.

Moonlight told Berryheart to keep a wary eye on the Tribe cat. He didn’t want Frog getting into more trouble. He was starting into the den when the she-cat touched her tail to his shoulder.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, doubt clear in her brown eyes. “Trusting our fate to a kit we hardly know?” She flattened her ears slightly. “Forestspeaker would not approve.”

Moonlight met her gaze directly. “Forestspeaker doesn’t need to know.”

Her eyes blazed defiantly. “Well, I don’t approve.”

He gave her a questioning look, then turned away soundlessly.

Inside the trading-den, he found Dare and Sky engaged in a heated discussion, the loner whisker-lengths from the kit’s face, teeth bared a bit as he lashed his tail emphatically. The kit stood his ground.

Moonlight moved out of the shadowed opening and into the partially lit den where they could see him clearly. Dare turned away from Sky at once, whiskers twitching wildly, and moved to confront Moonlight in a frenzy of ill-concealed excitement.

“The kit tells me you want to sponsor him in the race tomorrow! You’ve nothing to trade with! How can you manage to enter him in the race? Not with forest-herbs, I think!”

He mrrowed with raucous laughter, but Moonlight did not miss the hint of curiosity that gleamed in his slitted eyes.

“We scrounged just enough Twoleg scraps to do it,” the LightClan cat advised bluntly.

“But why enter my kit? You have your own!” Dare demanded irritably.

“I was,” Moonlight replied with a glance at Sky. “But Bluepaw isn’t used to moving about on sand and damaged his paw. Not badly, but enough that he can’t race. And I hear that Sky is one of the best available.”

Sky licked his chest-fur in embarrassment as the older cats directed their attention to him.

Dare purred. “The kit is good, no doubts there!” He ran a paw over his ear. “But still …”

Moonlight waited patiently as Dare thought. He did not look over at Sky, but he imagined the anticipation and hope in the kit’s eyes.

Dare let out another mrrow of laughter before bringing himself under control again. “So, you supply the entry; I supply the kit. We split the winnings equally, I think.”

“Equally?” Moonlight brushed the suggestion aside. “If it’s going to be an equal split, I suggest you front most of the entry. If we win, you keep all the winnings, save for what we need to trade for the herbs. If we lose, you keep what scraps we do have.”

Dare was clearly caught by surprise. He thought the matter through, tail tapping the ground, eyes narrowing. The offer was too good, and he was suspicious. Out of the corner of his eye, Moonlight saw Sky glance over at him nervously.

“Either way, you win,” Moonlight pointed out softly.

Dare thumped his tail on the ground. “Deal!” He turned to the kit, purring. “Your friend makes a mouse-brained bargain, kit! Better teach him what you know about how to trade for stock!”

Moonlight could still hear Dare’s amusement as he left the den.

The LightClan sage collected Berryheart, Frog, and Bluepaw, and left word for Sky to join them as soon as Dare would free him up to train. Since Dare was more interested in the upcoming race than in managing the trading-den, he dismissed the kit at once with instructions to make certain that he was fully prepared for the race and wouldn’t embarrass the loner.

As a result, Sky was home almost before Moonlight and the others, eagerly leading them to where his secret project was concealed just behind the serf-cats section of the settlement. It was a small make-shift training course that Sky had created to help improve his racing skills. 

Working together, the group began to shift the piles of rocks, sand, and Twoleg scraps that could be moved around to recreate different obstacles. With Berryheart, Frog, and Bluepaw lending assistance and encouragement, the kit immediately went to work prepping for the upcoming race.

While Sky and his helpers were thus engaged, Moonlight leaped to the top of the family’s den, glanced around to make certain he was alone, and concentrated to connect his Force-Crystal to Sunpaw’s. His apprentice responded immediately, anxious for a report, and Moonlight filled him in on what was happening.

 _"If all goes well, we will have what we need by sunhigh tomorrow and be on our way,”_ he concluded.

Sunpaw’s silence was telling. _“What if this plan fails, Mentor? We could be stuck here for a long time.”_

Moonlight looked out over the settlement, the sun a bright glare overhead. _“We can’t move very quickly without traveling herbs. We have little choice.”_

He broke off the connection. “And there is something about this kit,” he mewed to himself, leaving the thought unfinished.

Stalk and Gold emerged from the den. The tiny kit hurried to join the cats assisting his brother while the she-cat moved to join Moonlight. Together they sat watching the activity of the group behind the den.

“You should be proud of your son,” Moonlight mewed after a moment. “He gives without any thought of reward.”

Stalk purred, affection visible in her eyes. “He knows nothing of greed. Only of dreams. He has …”

“Special powers.”

The she-cat glanced at him warily. “Yes.”

“He can see things before they happen,” the LightClan sage continued. “That’s why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It is a LightClan trait.”

Her eyes were fixed on him, and he did not miss the glimmer of hope that shone there. “He deserves better than a serf-cat’s life,” she mewed quietly.

Moonlight kept his gaze directed out at the training course. “The Force is unusually strong with him, that much is clear. Who was his father?”

There was a long pause, long enough for the LightClan sage to realize he had asked a question she was not prepared to answer. He gave her time and space to deal with the matter, not pressing her, not making it seem as if it were necessary she answer at all.

“There is no father,” she mewed finally. She shook out her pelt carefully. “I carried him, I kitted him. I raised him. I can’t tell you any more than that.”

She touched her tail to his shoulder, drawing his eyes to meet hers. “Can you help him?”

Moonlight was silent for a long time, thinking. He felt an attachment to Sky that he could not explain. In the back of his mind, he sensed he was meant to do something for this kit, that it was necessary he try. But all LightClan cats were identified within the first two moons after being kitted and given over to their training. It was true for him, for Sunpaw, for every LightClan cat he knew or had heard about. There were no exceptions.

 _Can you help him?_ He did not know how that was possible.

“I don’t know,” he told her, keeping his voice gentle, but firm. “I didn’t come here to free serf-cats. Had he been kitted in one of the Clans or the Tribe of Gathering, we would have identified him early, and he might have become a LightClan warrior. He has the power. I’m not sure what I can do for him.”

She dipped her head in resignation, but her face revealed, beneath the guise of her acceptance, a glimmer of hope.

As Sky shifted into position to make another attempt, a group of his friends appeared. The three toms were Boulder, Seek, and Worm, and the she-cat was Sand. Sky paused long enough to introduce them to Berryheart, Frog, and Bluepaw. Gold, his seemingly endless river of questions silenced by the sight of the new cats, ducked behind Bluepaw, who had quickly become his next favorite cat after his brother.

“Wow, real Clan cats!” Boulder meowed, eyes wide in amazement. “How’d you get so lucky?”

Sky licked a paw and ran it over his ear. “That isn’t the half of it,” he declared, puffing his chest up a little. “I’m entered in the big race next sunrise.”

Boulder blinked and shook out his black and white pelt. “What? Really?”

“You’ve never won a race yet,” Worm meowed, nudging Sand with his shoulder. “This is a load of fox droppings, Sky.”

“You’ve been trying for moons,” Sand observed, her hazel eyes narrowed in disapproval. She shook out her cream-colored pelt. “You’ll never manage it.”

Sky started to defend himself, then decided against it. Better to let them think whatever they wanted for now. He would show them.

“Come on, let’s go play by the old Twoleg den,” Seek suggested, already turning away, a hint of boredom in his voice. “Keep it up, Sky, and you’re going to be vulturefood.”

Seek, Worm, and Sand hurried off, mrrowing with laughter. But Boulder was his best friend and knew better than to doubt Sky when he decided to do something. So, Boulder stayed behind, ignoring the others. “What do they know?” he mewed quietly.

Sky let out a purr of appreciation. Then he settled back into a starting crouch to make another attempt. The obstacle he was most concerned with, a pit filled with sand and Twoleg pelts, mimicked a pit of sinking sand. It was one that he had always had trouble with on the racing-path, the one that most contributed to his losing streak. Frog had almost gotten stuck while making it.

He crouched a bit lower, shifted, and shot forward. He passed the mounds of rocks, sand, and Twoleg scraps with ease, then darted through the winding tunnel and headed straight for the pit. Sky pushed himself to move faster, then leaped. It wasn’t far enough and he landed in the center of the pit and began to sink. He managed to scramble out and padded back to the start, shaking the sand from his fur, then turned around and tried again. Once again, he easily flew through all of the obstacles except for the sinking sand pit.

As Sky moved back into position a third time, Boulder moved close to him, watching silently, his black and white face intense. “You don’t even know if you can pass the pit, Sky,” he observed, ears tilted back and tail twitching.

Sky didn’t look at him. “I can.”

Moonlight appeared at his shoulder. “I have a suggestion.” He leaned forward. “Aim for the edge. The ground is more solid there. And don’t slow down.”

Sky flicked an ear at him to show he’d heard. As the LightClan tom moved aside to join the rest, the kit shifted into a low crouch and raced for the first obstacle. One by one he flew past each then aimed for the pit once more. This time, he lengthened his stride before lunging at the very edge of the pit. He bounded swiftly as if he was merely jumping across stones. This time, he crossed successfully to reach the last sand-pile and passed it to finish the course. Yowls of delight rose from the spectators, and Sky lifted his tail in response.

On top of their den, Stalk watched silently, her eyes distant and sad.

Sundown brought a blaze of gold and red in the wake of the departing sun, a splash of color that filled the horizon in a long, graceful sweep. Night climbed after, darkening the sky, bringing out the stars like scattered shards of crystal. In the deepening black, the land was silent and watchful.

A gleam of red crystal caught the last of the fading sun’s rays, and a large, muscular tom raced out of a small cavern and across the vast desert. Dark red tabby fur was covered in a faint sheen of sand, lightening it a bit. A bright red Force-Crystal was bound to his right forepaw. As the moon began to edge toward its peak, he came to rest at the edge of a stone canyon. He sat there in silence, waiting.

Darkmaul began to scan the horizon in all directions. Endless sand and rocks, he was thinking. Wasteland. But he did notice a few stray cats wandering here and there. And in the distance, he could see faint signs of camps and old Twoleg-dens. The DarkClan cat twitched an ear as he thought. Other camps likely existed far past where he’d come from, or beyond the horizon much farther still.

But the LightClan cats, he believed, were here.

Despite his stillness, his yellow eyes gleamed expectantly. Soon now. Soon.

He started down the canyon. He knew that there were a number of wandering cats about, including the group that called itself DesertClan. Cats that, for the right offer, could be a wealth of information. LightClan cats were fairly easy to spot, being such a strong presence in the Force that even uninitiated cats could sense them.

Reaching the bottom of the ravine, the DarkClan cat spotted a local rogue with black fur and a stunted tail hunting not too far from him. He stifled a purr at how easily things seemed to be falling into place for him.

Darkness covered the camp in deepening layers as night descended. Sky sat quietly just outside the entrance of his family’s den while Moonlight studied a cut in the kit’s shoulder. Sky had sustained it sometime during his practice runs and, in typical kit fashion, he hadn’t even noticed it until now.

Sky gave the injury a cursory glance as the LightClan cat prepared a poultice for it, then tilted his head back to look up at the vast number of stars in the sky.

“Sit still, Sky,” Moonlight instructed.

The kit barely heard him. “There are so many! Are all of them cats from the past?”

“Most of them.” Moonlight moved closer with the herbs and cobwebs.

“What about the ones that aren’t? Does any cat know what those are?”

Moonlight purred. “Not likely.”

Sky flicked an ear, still looking up. “I want to be the first one then, the first to figure it out – ouch!”

Moonlight wiped a bit of loose fur covered in a bit of blood from the kit’s shoulder, then applied the herbs and cobwebs. “There, good as new.”

“Sky! Time to sleep!” Stalk called out from inside.

Moonlight wiped the fur onto a leaf, then carefully picked it up and started walking away from the den. The kit leaned forward. “Where are you going?”

The LightClan tom paused and set the leaf down. “Burying this outside the camp.”

Sky started to get up. “Do you think I could –”

“Sky!” his mother called again, more insistent this time. “I’m not going to tell you again!”

“Go on,” Moonlight urged, flicking his tail toward the den entrance. “You have a big day tomorrow.” He picked up the leaf again. “Good night.”

Sky hesitated, his eyes fixed on the LightClan sage, intense and questioning. Then he turned and darted off into his den. Moonlight waited a moment, then raced silently into the night, checking constantly to ensure he wasn’t followed. As he reached the edge of the ravine, Sunpaw clambered up to meet him.

“What is it, Mentor?” his apprentice asked, alert in spite of the lateness of the hour.

Moonlight set the leaf with the bloody fur on the ground and nudged it toward the younger tom. “Tell me what you can sense from this.”

He stood in silence as Sunpaw hovered his right paw over the sample and concentrated, blue Force-Crystal gleaming faintly. He could feel the beating of his heart, quick and excited. If he was right about this …

“Mentor,” Sunpaw interrupted his musings. “There must be something wrong.” His blue eyes were wide with confusion.

Moonlight took a slow, deep breath and let it out softly. “What do you sense, Sunpaw?”

“I can sense so much Force-Energy it’s like looking into the sun.” The younger LightClan cat’s voice tightened. “No other cat has so much. Not even Lightstar.”

 _No other_. Moonlight stood still, staggered by the immensity of his discovery. He hadn’t been mistaken. After a moment, he finally wished his apprentice a good night before heading back to the camp and to Sky’s den. As he slowly entered the den, he froze mid-step.

Stalk stood just inside the main chamber, waiting up for him. Their eyes met, and for just an instant it felt to the LightClan sage as if the future had been revealed to him in its entirety. Then Stalk turned away, embarrassed, and disappeared into her nesting chamber.

Moonhigh approached. Sky, unable to sleep, had disentangled himself from Gold’s sleeping form and gone back to his training course for one last run. Now he stood staring at it, considering and reconsidering strategies, trying to determine anything he may have missed, anything he may have overlooked. He could afford no mistakes. He must make certain he had done all that he could.

So that he would win tomorrow’s race.

Because he must.

He must.

He chased the anxiety away quickly and looked up at the starry sky. After a moment, he sat down, curling his tail around his paws. Idly, he thought about the secret gift hidden beneath his collection of Twoleg things, the one he’d found for Berryheart. From there, his thoughts drifted further. He couldn’t explain it exactly, but he knew that tomorrow would change his life. That strange ability to see what others did not, that sometimes gave him insights into what would happen, told him so. His future was coming up on him in a rush, he sensed. It was closing fast, giving him no time to consider, ascending with the certainty of a sunrise.

What would it bring him? The question teased at the edges of his consciousness, refusing to show itself. Change, but in what form? Moonlight and his companions were the bringers of that change, but he did not think even the LightClan warrior knew for certain what the end result would be.

Maybe the freedom he had dreamed about for himself and his family, he thought hopefully. Maybe an escape to a new life for all of them. Anything was possible if he won the race. Anything at all.

That thought was still foremost in his cluttered, weary mind when he stumbled back into his nest and he fell asleep.


	10. Gambles and Races

Sky dreamed that night, and in his dream he was of a different, but indeterminate age. He was young still, though not so young as now, but old, too. He was shaped from stone, and his thoughts were emblazoned with a vision so frightening he could not bring himself to consider it fully, only to leave it just out of reach, simmering over a fire of ambition and hope. He was in a different place and time, in a landscape he had never seen. It was vague and shadowy in his dream, all flat and rugged at once, changing with the swiftness of a mirage born out of the desert flats.

The dream shimmered, and voices reached out to him, soft and distant. He turned toward them, away from a wave of dark movement that suddenly appeared before him, away from the sleep that gave his dream life.

“I hope you’re about finished,” he heard Berryheart mew.

But Berryheart was at the head of the dark wave of his dream, and the wave was an army, padding toward him …

Bluepaw was uttering hasty assurances, with Gold chiming in eagerly, that everything was well, and he stirred again.

He felt a paw nudge his shoulder gently, and the dream faded and was gone. Sky blinked awake, stretching his jaws in a yawn and shaking bits from his nest out of his fur.

The paw moved away, and Sky stared up at Berryheart, at a face he found so beautiful it brought a tightness to his throat. Yet he stared at her in confusion, for she had been the central figure in his dream, different from now, older, sadder … and something more.

“You were in my dream,” he mewed, swallowing hard to get the words out. “You were leading a huge army into battle.”

The she-cat stared at him in wonder, then purred. “I hope not. I hate fighting.” Her tone was merry and light, dismissive in a way that bothered him. “Your mother wants you to get up now. We have to leave soon.”

Sky climbed to his paws, fully awake. He padded to the freshkill pile for a shrew to eat before heading out of the den. He stood looking out at the rest of the serf-cats’ section of the camp, at the movements of serf-cats going about their daily work, at the clear, bright early morning sky that promised good weather for today’s Sand-Dune-Race. Gold was bounding around asking his usual endless stream of questions. Bluepaw, attempting to groom his dusty pelt, answered as many questions as his could.

A loud yowl of greeting brought him around to find Boulder trotting toward them with his tail held high. Boulder’s face was aglow with expectation, and he waved his tail eagerly at Sky as he approached.

Sky waved his tail back, then turned back to find Berryheart leaving the den. “Where’s Moonlight?”

The she-cat lifted her muzzle. “He left with Frog for the racing-trail. They’ve gone to find Dare.”

Moonlight padded through the racers’ den, glancing at the activity about him with seemingly casual interest. The racers’ den had once been a nesting area for monsters before Twolegs took them away and left it abandoned. It was larger than most caverns he had seen and was used as a prepping area for the racers and their helpers. A number of racers were already inside, cats who had found their way to the Great-Sand-Place from everywhere moving around the den yowling at each other. The vast, echoing chamber forced conversations to be held very loudly.

Frog kept close to one shoulder of the LightClan sage while Dare trotted near the other. The former was his normal fretful, nervous self, eyes stretched wide, head twisting this way and that with such frantic concern it seemed certain it must soon twist off altogether. Dare trotted on with blatant disregard for everything but his own conversation, which rambled on and on, covering the same points endlessly.

“So it must be understood clearly that our bargain is sealed, outsider,” he repeated for at least the third time in the last few moments. His tail flicked with emphasis. “I’ll want to see your Twoleg scraps the moment the race is over.”

He made no secret about the fact that he believed that gaining the extra scraps was only a matter of time. He had not once since Moonlight had found him suggested that things might work out otherwise.

The LightClan sage demurred with an ear-flick. “Patience, my friend. You’ll have your winnings before sunset, and my companions and I will be far away from here.”

“Not without enough travelling herbs, I think!” Dare huffed, and let out a satisfied purr. Just as quickly, his sharp eyes fixed on the LightClan tom. “I warn you, no funny business!”

Moonlight kept walking, his gaze directed elsewhere, carefully clearing the trail he had set for the loner. “You don’t think Sky will win?”

Dare moved around in front of him and brought them all to a stop. He flicked his tail toward a small group of cats. In the center of the group, flanked by a pair of she-cats, was the rogue who had attacked Frog two sunrises earlier, Bulb, his wicked eyes fixed on them, his slender body drawn up in a vaguely menacing manner.

Dare huffed. “Don’t get me wrong,” he announced, shaking his blue-grey pelt out. “I have great faith in the kit. He’s a credit to his rank.” His ears tilted slightly. “But Bulb there is going to win, I think.”

Moonlight pretended to study the rogue carefully. “Why?”

“Because he always wins!” The loner mrrowed with laughter, consumed by his own cleverness. “I’m gambling heavily on Bulb!”

“I’ll take that gamble,” Moonlight meowed at once.

Dare went silent immediately, jerking away as if slapped. “What?” His eyes widened in astonishment. “What do you mean?”

Moonlight advanced a step, backing the loner away. “I’ll wager a large scrap from a monster against …” He trailed off thoughtfully, letting Dare hang. “Against, say, the kit and his mother.”

Dare was aghast. “Scrap for serf-cats! I don’t think so!” His tail lashed as he paced this way and that, ears and head tilted. “Well, perhaps. Just one. The mother, maybe. The kit isn’t for trade.”

Moonlight flattened his ears. “The kit is small. He can’t be worth much?”

Dare shook himself decisively.

“Both, or no gamble.”

They were standing near the entrance of the den, and the sound of other conversations had lessened. Beyond, ledges and large rocks for cats to lounge on and watch the race, with the High Ledge far above the rest, rose against the desert sky. Already, cats from all over were beginning to settle in. The last few approaching racers garnering much attention.

Moonlight caught sight of Sky appearing through the crowds, accompanied by Berryheart and Boulder. Bluepaw and Gold padded along behind with Stalk. The LightClan sage deliberately turned to watch their approach, drawing Dare’s gaze after his own. The loner’s eyes narrowed as he studied the kit.

He looked back at Moonlight and flicked an ear anxiously. “No scrap is worth two serf-cats … not by a tree-length! One serf-cat or nothing!”

Moonlight sat and curled his tail over his paws. “The kit, then.”

Dare hissed and shook his fur. He twitched with the tension his deliberation was generating inside him. Then abruptly he swiped out a paw and pulled a flat stone close, scratching one side deep enough to be seen. “We’ll let fate decide. Smooth, it’s the kit. Clawed, it’s the mother.”

Dare tossed the stone high. As he did, Moonlight made a small, surreptitious movement with his right paw, calling on his LightClan power to produce a small inflection in the Force.

The stone flipped repeatedly in the air, hit the ground on its edge, tipped over, smooth side facing up. Dare lashed his tail angrily, his eyes turning narrow and sharp.

“You won the toss, outsider!” he hissed in dismissal. “But you won’t win the race, so it makes little difference, I think.”

“We’ll see,” Moonlight replied calmly.

Sky and the others reached them, entering the den quickly. Dare spun away from Moonlight in annoyance, pausing long enough to snarl irritably at the kit.

“Better stop your friend’s gambling,” he growled, “or I’ll end up owning him, too!”

Sky looked at him in confusion. Tail lashing madly, Dare gave Moonlight a withering glance and stalked off.

“What did he mean by that?” Sky asked as he padded up next to Moonlight, glancing after the retreating loner.

Moonlight flicked an ear. “I’ll tell you later.”

Boulder bounded over to Sky, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he looked around. “Great StarClan! I’m sure you’ll do it this time, Sky!”

Berryheart, standing close by, shifted her gaze from one to the other. “Do what?” she asked suspiciously.

Boulder purred. “Finish the race, of course!”

The she-cat’s ears dropped. Her eyes burned into Sky. “You’ve never even _finished_ a race?” she demanded incredulously.

The kit licked his chest-fur in embarrassment. “Well … not exactly.” His tail rose with determination. “But Boulder’s right. I will this time.”

Moonlight rose and touched the kit’s shoulder with his tail. “Of course, you will,” he agreed.

Berryheart just stared at him wordlessly.

In the center of the camp, the crowds were beginning to thin as the cats gravitated in increasing numbers toward the racing-trail at the camp’s edge. Those who had trading-dens were moving to swiftly block them so as to join the crowds themselves.

Amid the confusion and movement, a black she-cat with a stunted tail slowly padded along, amber eyes traveling from den to den, from face to face, searching.

Many, many cats had gathered around the racing-trail by sunhigh, crowding onto and around the many rocks and ledges, filling the available space. The area had become a vast plain of colors and movement and sound in the emptiness of the surrounding desert. Snatches of excited conversation about various racers could be heard from all sections of the area.

Then yowls erupted as the racers began to emerge from the den. Each racer was accompanied by their sponsors and assistants as they approach the starting point. Overhead, the sun shone down with a bright, hungry glare.

As the racers moved onto the racing trail in front of the crowd, a flurry of movement on the High Ledge signaled the arrival of Jab and Growl, his she-cat companion. Striding onto the shaded ledge, the two large DesertClan cats moved to their respective places on the soft Twoleg pelts that were laid out on the rough stone. Jab came foremost, proceeding directly to the edge where he could be seen by every cat. Raising a hefty paw in greeting, he basked in the crowd’s loud yowls of appreciation. Growl let out an approving purr, slitted eyes glittering. Other DesertClan cats quietly filed in behind them. 

Below, the racers formed a line facing the High Ledge and at a signal bowed deeply in recognition of and to pay homage to the DesertClan leader.

“Welcome!” Jab rumbled, his deep voice echoing out across the flats.

The yowls of the assembled cats grew louder as he began his introduction of the racers.

“First, the current champion, brown and white rogue tom, Bulb!”

The rogue, standing immediately next to Sky, rose on his back legs and raised a paw to the crowd. Bulb’s supporters and anxious gamblers depending on the odds that favored the rogue yowled loudly in response.

One by one, Jab recognized the different racers. Gas, a grey tabby loner. Roar, an older, light brown rogue. Four, a small, quivering loner. Alder, a tall rogue. Mandrill, a loner who had been a kittypet in his younger seasons. Breeze, a black rogue who was one of the she-cats in this race. Mud, a dark brown loner. Holdfast, who had left his birth-Clan for a loner’s life. Bog, a tan rogue. Weasel, another grey loner. Sky listened to the names, shifting anxiously, eager to begin.

“… loner she-cat, Maw,” Jab continued. “Calico loner she-cat, Teeth. Light brown serf-cat, Sky…”

Yowls burst from the crowd, though it was not as enthusiastic as it had been for Bulb or Gas or several of the others. Sky waved his tail in response, eyes traveling over the gathered cats, his mind already out in the flats.

When he turned back to the starting point, his mother was standing in front of him. Her posture was calm and determined as she pressed her muzzle to his head. Her eyes were steady as she backed away but she could not quite mask the worry reflected in them.

“Be safe, Sky,” she told him.

He dipped his head, swallowing. “I will, Mom. I promise.”

She purred, warm and reassuring, and moved away. Sky continued on, waving his tail at Boulder, who did the same back as he padded away. Bluepaw trotted up to Sky and offered approval and reassurance. Gold rubbed himself against his brother as he expressed his every confidence in his ability to win. Then he followed Bluepaw away from the racing-trail.

Frog touched the kit’s shoulder with his tail, clearly full of worry and consternation. “This very mouse-brained, Sky. May the Ancestors be kind, me friend.”

Out of the corner of his eye Sky saw Bulb turn toward him and start wandering over toward him. There was a clear gleam in the rogue’s eyes that indicated nothing good.

Berryheart appeared and licked the top of his head. Her brown eyes were intense. “You carry all our hopes,” she mewed quietly.

Sky lifted his chin. “I won’t let you down.”

She gave him a long stare, then moved away. As she did so, Bulb sidled up to him, his brown and white face tilted close.

“You won’t walk away from this one, serf-cat,” he hissed softly, purring. “You’re vulturefood.”

Sky stood his ground, giving the rogue a stony look. “Don’t count on it, fox-breath.”

Moonlight was approaching, and Bulb backed away toward his starting position, malevolence reflected in his flat stare. More yowls rose from the crowd. Jab stepped close to the edge of the High Ledge, his thick tail lifting.

“Let the challenge begin!” he growled.

The yowls grew even louder. Moonlight moved with Sky to his starting position. The kit settled himself, crouching low to the ground, narrowing his eyes in concentration.

“Are you all set, Sky?” the LightClan sage asked calmly. The kit turned toward him and dipped his head, eyes intense, steady. Moonlight held his gaze. “Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don’t think. Trust your instincts.”

He touched his tail to the kit’s shoulder and purred. “May the Force be with you, Sky.”

Then he backed away, and Sky was alone.

Moonlight moved quickly through the crowd to the ledge where Stalk, Berryheart, and Frog waited. He glanced back only once at Sky and found the kit calmly adjusting his starting stance. The LightClan sage purred to himself. The kit would do all right.

Passing the trio of younger cats at the base, he leapt to the top of the ledge and moved to sit beside Frog and the she-cats. Stalk gave him a worried, questioning look.

“He’s fine,” Moonlight assured her, touching her shoulder with his tail.

Berryheart flicked her tail doubtfully. “You LightClan cats are far too reckless,” she mewed quietly. “Forestspeaker –”

“Forestspeaker trusts my judgement, young warrior,” Moonlight interrupted smoothly, directing his words only to her. “Perhaps you should, too.”

She glared at him. “You assume too much.”

A hush fell and all eyes turned toward the racers. The cats at the starting point began shifting themselves into position. A dark grey and white loner stood on a large stone in view of the racers with his tail raised. The line of cats held their places, watching and anticipating.

Standing next to Moonlight, Frog draped a paw over his eyes in dismay. “Me no watch this!”

The LightClan tom curled his tail over his paws. _Steady, Sky,_ he thought to himself. _Concentrate._

Then the raised tail dropped, and the race was underway.


	11. The Sand-Dune-Race

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a bit late, but this was honestly the hardest one to write to-date. Please forgive the tardiness...

As soon as he saw the signal, Sky shot forward with the other racers. The kit shifted into position just behind Bulb, who with a twist of his paw sent a cloud of sand into his younger opponent’s face.

The kit froze. The other cats raced past as he rapidly shook his head to clear his fogged vision. In heartbeats, the kit was alone, save for Four, who stayed crouched at the starting line, trembling and wide-eyed.

Sky’s mind raced desperately. He pawed at his eyes, trying to clear away the sand blocking his sight. Forcing himself to be slower and more deliberate, he took a deep breath as he moved his paw over his eyes. Little by little, the irritating grit fell away from his face. Eyes now clear, the kit shook himself one last time, then raced away, moving so swiftly that his paws barely seemed to touch the ground.

Sky gave chase with single-minded determination, not bothering with anything but the faint outlines in the distance that marked the location of the other racers. He tore across the flats, the pounding of his paws on the sand appearing to grow steadily louder, the ground beneath them fading to a blur of heat and light. The racing-trail was flat and open in the beginning, and he pushed himself even harder. He was moving so quickly that everything around him turned swiftly to a sun-drenched blur.

Ahead, the first group of tall rock-piles rose up against the horizon. Sky could see the other racers more clearly now, lean shapes darting across the flats, clouds of dust flew behind them. He closed on them quickly, ground trembling beneath his paws. On an open trail, he knew, there was no other cat that could match him.

Excitement burned through him as he caught the trailing racers.

He slowed his pace slightly as he came closer to them, giving himself space to maneuver and a brief chance to catch his breath. He went by two as if they were standing still, angling his way left and then right, weaving into the mouse-length of space they had left between them. When he was clear, he flew forward, and left the two cats in the dust. He caught up to Gas next. Easing up to the loner’s tail, he got ready to pass. The Tall-ravine loomed ahead, and he wanted to be clear of the others when he navigated through. Maneuvering cautiously, he prepared to overtake on the right. But Gas saw him, and quickly moved to cut him off. Sky waited, then shifted left for another try. Again, Gas cut him off. Back and forth they rushed across the sandy ground like a coyote chasing a bird.

The edge of a ledge-drop appeared as a ragged line a couple of tree-lengths ahead. Sky slowed, giving Gas the impression he was preparing for another attempt at passing. The wiry loner, glancing back quickly to make certain where the kit was, held his position until he reached the edge, then dropped down first. The moment he did so, Sky lunged forward, moving so quickly that his leap sent him flying right over Gas before the other could do anything to prevent it.

The dark shadow of the ravine loomed ahead, and Sky slipped into the rat-sized opening with a sand-fox litheness, racing into the cool shadows beyond. His pawsteps echoed in the silence as he weaved through the tight turns. Sky adjusted his strides with precision as he ran, envisioning the trail in his mind – each twist, each deviation, each rise and drop. Everything was clear and certain to him. Everything was revealed.

He flew through the ravine and back out onto the open flats. Ahead, beyond the rest of the racers, Maw and Bulb fought for the lead. The vicious rogue’s paws pounded the ground with enough strength to send the sand skyward as he maneuvered for position. But Maw’s slender shape was slowly moving away.

Then Bulb lunged and swung aggressively left, hurling himself toward the other racer. Maw reacted instinctively, shifting left as well – and directly into a rocky pit. Maw disappeared in a huge cloud of dust.

Next it was Breeze challenging, trying to sneak past Bulb from above, much as Sky had done with Gas. But the rogue tom sensed her presence and moved to block her passage. Breeze slid left, moving alongside, holding fast. Bulb seemed to lose ground, to give way slightly. But when Breeze was next to him, he swiped the loose sand toward her. A cloud of dust and sand flew into Breeze’s eyes. Breeze tried frantically to keep the grit from affecting her sight, but she was too late. The treacherous tom shoved her away with his shoulder. She lost her balance, and the poor she-cat went tumbling paw over tail directly into a large stone and lay still.

Without slowing, Bulb sped away from the injured she-cat, alone at the head of the group.

As the racers began approaching the next obstacle, Sky was five cats away from the lead. As the race progressed, he was slowly disappearing into his racing-instincts, becoming one with the ground below, feeling every stretch and bit of strength in each of his paws. Wind flew past him in a screeching rush, keeping him in his near-trancelike state. There was only himself and the racing-trail, all speed and response. It was the way racing affected him, melding his body with the ground and air until he was a part of both. Heartbeat by heartbeat, the connection deepened, joining them, giving him insights and understandings that transcended his senses and knowledge, moving his mind past the present and into a place others could not reach.

Approaching the great-rock-piles, he bore down on the leaders, eyes narrowed intensely. Lengthening his strides, he flew past Alder and slipped around Holdfast. To one side, a fast-closing Mandrill turned too quickly on a sand-pile and slipped in the loose sand. He tumbled down the hill and bumped into a rock-pile and became trapped by the tumbling stones.

Sky was only four racers back from Bulb and could see the rogue clearly in the distance.

Everything happened quickly after that.

Using his knowledge of the racing-trail and his unique racing-instinct, Sky flew past two racers and began to increase his speed further. Ahead, Mud was closing in on Bulb, wary of the vicious rogue, keeping back and away, trying to sneak past. Sky drew nearer to both, leaping from one flat stone to the next to avoid slipping in loose sand.

Suddenly Bulb lashed out with claws unsheathed. Staggering sideways to avoid a torn shoulder, Mud slammed into a rock-pile and stumbled in a daze right in front of Sky. The kit jumped up, set his paws against a more stable rock-pile, and pushed off to fly over Mud’s head.

Then he was in the clear again and bearing down on Bulb.

He caught the rogue as they raced past the last rock-pile and into the tunnel beyond.

In his mind, Sky could see Moonlight and Frog watching for him; Boulder, standing by the edge of the racing-trail, his friend yowling excitedly, and Gold and Bluepaw, the former squeaking loudly, the latter mewing back at him in response; Berryheart, her beautiful face showing worry; and his mother, her eyes filled with terror. He could see them all, as if he were standing among them, watching the race…

He blocked their faces away, banished the images from his thoughts, and focused everything on Bulb.

They were halfway through the tunnel when Bulb decided to put an end to Sky once and for all. Shifting closer to Sky, he swept a cloud of dust toward the kit’s face as he had with Breeze. But Sky had fallen for that trick before and was looking for it this time. He shifted away and out of reach. When Bulb tried to follow, Sky shifted again. This time, the kit darted up onto a slight ledge, putting his weight on a rock that gave a frightening lurch, and he leaped right over Bulb to take the lead.

Down the last tree-lengths of the tunnel the racers flew, Sky leading, Bulb right on his tail. At speeds too great for most cats to manage on such dangerous ground, the opponents weaved back and forth as if safety were of no importance at all.

And finally burst into the clear once more.

Again, Bulb tried to regain the lead, pushing for an opening. Sky held him off, but the rogue slowly moved forward until he was running alongside him. Over the flat ground they sped, attempting to pull ahead. Sky tried everything he knew, but Bulb was a seasoned racer and was able to counter each attempt. Far in the distance, the outline of their goal began to make itself seen on the horizon.

Sky focused on the path ahead, recognizing the fast-approaching final obstacle: the pit of sinking sand. Remembering the LightClan tom’s advice, he gathered himself as they drew close. Bulb screeched in frustration and deliberately hurled himself at Sky. Infuriated by the kit’s persistence, he forgot about the pit. But Sky suddenly lunged forward, lengthening his stride, flinging himself toward the flat stones at the edge of the pit. He narrowly missed colliding with his opponent, managing to land outside of the pit’s edge to thunder alongside it instead.

But Bulb lost his balance and went flying right into the pit. Hissing and spitting angrily, the rogue scrambled desperately to get himself out as he felt himself begin to sink. It took several heartbeats before he finally latched onto the rocks to the side of the pit and slowly pulled himself out only to discover that he was far too late to recover his lead.

Sky rushed alongside the pit, leapt to the other side of the obstacle, and raced away. Not slowing his pace until he reached the end of the trail and crossed the finishing mark, he became, at six moons, the youngest winner ever of the Sand-Dune-Races.


	12. Freedom and Partings

As he dropped down from the rock he shared with Stalk, Berryheart, and Frog, Moonlight watched the crowd rush toward Sky. The kit had slid to a halt and stood catching his breath. Gold had already reached him and was bouncing around him excitedly, and Boulder and Bluepaw were circling them both. When the crowd converged heartbeats later, Sky had clambered onto a rock and raised his tail as the other cats gathered around, yowling his name.

Moonlight exchanged a warm glance with Stalk, dipping his head in approval of the kit’s performance. Sky was special indeed.

Allowing his companions to join the celebration, the LightClan sage turned back toward one of the viewing-ledges. Ascending swiftly, he padded over to where Dare had been sitting. A few cats departed just in front of him, mrrowing and joking loudly, conversing about what they’d gambled and won. Dare was staring out at the crowd, whiskers and ears drooping, a dejected look on his face.

The instant he caught sight of Moonlight, his dejection transformed, and he spun toward the LightClan sage in undisguised fury.

“You! You tricked me!” He lashed his tail in a frenzy, shaking with rage. “You knew the kit was going to win! Somehow you knew it! I lost everything!”

Moonlight purred benignly. “Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you’ll lose. Today wasn’t your day.” He stopped purring. “Bring the herbs to the racers’ den right away. I’ll come by your trading-den later so you can release the kit.”

The smaller tom stood nose to nose with Moonlight. “You can’t have him! It wasn’t a fair bet!”

Moonlight looked him up and down with a cold stare. “Would you like to discuss it with DesertClan? I’m sure Jab would be happy to settle the matter.”

Dare jerked as if stung, his narrowed eyes filled with hate. “No, no! I want no more of your tricks.” He flicked his tail emphatically. “Take the kit! Be gone!”

He whirled away and leapt down from the ledge, head and tail hanging low. Moonlight watched him depart, then started down the opposite way, his mind already turning to other things.

Had he not been so preoccupied with his plans for what lay ahead, he might have caught sight of the black she-cat trailing after.

After some time, the racing area emptied, the racers departed for home or to be treated for injuries, and the racers’ den was left nearly deserted. A few cats wandered about clearing out anything that had been left behind. Sky alone of the racers remained, drinking from the water that flowed through the den. He was dirty and ragged, his fur unkempt and his whiskers covered with sand and dust. There was blood on his leg where he had sliced it in the last tunnel of the race.

Moonlight watched him thoughtfully, standing to one side with Berryheart and Stalk as the kit, Frog, Bluepaw, and Gold all conversed happily. _Could it be?_ he was wondering for not the first time, pondering the way the kit navigated the dangerous racing-trail, the confidence and wisdom he showed, and the instincts he possessed. _Was it possible?_

He pushed aside his questions for another time. It would be up to the Council to decide. Abruptly, he left the she-cats, padding over to the kit and sitting beside him.

“You look a bit ragged, Sky,” he mewed softly, placing his tail on the kit’s shoulder and looking him in the eyes, “but you did well.” Purring reassuringly, he groomed a bit of the kit’s pelt. “There, better.”

He helped tend to the kit’s injured leg. Stalk and Berryheart joined them and started fussing over Sky.

“Ah, enough of this,” the kit mewed in embarrassment.

His mother purred. “It’s so wonderful, Sky – what you’ve done here. Do you know? You’ve brought hope to those who have none. I’m so very proud of you.”

“We owe you everything,” Berryheart added quickly, giving him an intense, warm look.

Sky ducked his head. “Just feeling this good is worth anything,” he declared, purring back.

Moonlight padded over to where the herbs were dropped off. Dare had delivered them as promised, though not without considerable growling and a barrage of thinly veiled threats. Moonlight checked over everything, glanced out into the sunhigh heat, and padded back to the others.

“Berryheart, Frog, Bluepaw, let’s go,” he meowed abruptly. “We’ve got to get these herbs back.”

The group moved over to the pile, still conversing. Berryheart touched her nose to Sky’s head again, then padded over to the herbs and gingerly picked up one bundle. Frog stumbled over his paws as he hurried to grab another bundle, tumbling into a heap. Bluepaw, a third bundle clenched in his jaws, touched his shoulder with his tail encouragingly as the Tribe cat staggered upright. Good-byes and thank-yous were exchanged, but it was an awkward moment for Sky. He looked as if he wanted to tell Berryheart something, moving up beside her momentarily, staring at her expectantly. But all he could manage was a sad, confused look.

Slowly the group began to depart, Sky and Gold standing with their mother, watching them go.

“I’ll return before sundown,” Moonlight promised, meowing around the herb-bundle in his mouth.

Berryheart did not look back at all.

Moonlight and his companions trotted out of the camp into the desert, moving toward the ravine the others waited in at a steady pace. Sunhigh was beginning to pass, and the heat rose off the sand in waves. But the journey back to the hidden ForestClan cats was accomplished swiftly and without incident.

Sunpaw was waiting for them, appearing at the edge of the ravine as soon as they neared, his young face intense. “I was getting worried,” he announced without preamble.

Moonlight approached, then set his bundle down. “Start sorting and passing out these herbs,” he ordered. “I’m going back. I have some unfinished business.”

“Business?” his apprentice echoed, pricking his ears.

“I won’t be long.”

Sunpaw studied him for a heartbeat, then huffed. “Why do I sense we’ve picked up another stray?”

Moonlight nudged him away from the others. “It’s the kit who’s responsible for getting us these herbs.” He paused. “The kit whose energy you sensed last night.”

Sunpaw gave him a hard, steady look, then turned away.

On a rise overlooking the ravine, hidden in the glare of the sun and the ripple of the dunes, the rogue she-cat crouched motionless for a few heartbeats more, then quickly sped away.

Sky headed home with his mother and Gold, still wrapped in the euphoria of his victory, but struggling as well with his sadness over the departure of Berryheart. He hadn’t thought about what would happen to her if he won the race, that it would mean Moonlight would secure the travelling herbs he needed to ensure their ability to reach their destination. So when she touched her nose to his head in farewell, it was the first time he had given the matter any thought since her arrival. He was stunned, caught in a mix of emotions, and all of a sudden he wanted to tell her to stay. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it, knowing how foolish it would, realizing she couldn’t do so in any case.

So he stood there voiceless, watching her leave right behind Moonlight, thinking it might well be the last time he would ever see her, and wondering how he was going to live with himself if it was.

Unable to sit still once they had reached home, he tossed a twig-ball back and forth with Gold until the tiny kit grew tired and settled into the nest to sleep, then went out again. Moonlight had told him he was relieved of any work today at Dare’s trading-den, so he could pretty much do what he wanted until the LightClan tom returned. He gave no thought to what would happen then, wandering down toward the camp entrance, waving his tail as his name was called out by various cats on his journey.

He was just approaching the camp entrance when Moonlight appeared and padded toward him, dragging an old Twoleg-pelt behind him. Sky moved to help and together they headed back toward his den. They stopped a foxlength from the den to rest for a few heartbeats.

“What are these for?” the kit asked, looking at the Twoleg scraps inside the pelt.

“These are yours,” the LightClan tom replied. “They would have been Dare’s.” He flicked an ear in amusement. “If he’d gambled better.”

He nudged the pelt toward Sky, who accepted the gesture with a loud purr.

He dragged it into the den himself, to excited to wait for Moonlight, who followed silently. “Mom, Mom!” he meowed, dropping the pelt as she appeared to greet them. “Guess what? Moonlight gave us Twoleg scraps to trade with! Look!”

He managed to get the pelt open and the scraps tumbled loose loudly. Her eyes widened with surprise. “Great StarClan!” she breathed softly, staring down at the pile. “Sky, that’s wonderful!”

Her eyes lifted quickly to meet Moonlight’s. The LightClan tom stepped forward, holding her gaze.

“Sky has been freed,” he mewed.

The kit’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Moonlight glanced down at him. “You are no longer a serf-cat.”

Stalk stared at the LightClan cat in disbelief, her body rigid, her eyes showing her shock.

“Mom? Did you hear that, Mom?” Sky bounced around as high as he could manage. It wasn’t possible! But he knew it was true, knew it really was!

He managed to collect himself. “Was that part of the prize or what?” he asked with a purr.

Moonlight purred back. “Let’s just say Dare learned an important lesson about gambling.”

Stalk’s tail twitched from side to side, still stunned by the news, still working it through. But the sight of Sky’s face made everything clear for her in a heartbeat. She leaned forward and pressed her side against his.

“Now you can make your dreams come true, Sky,” she mewed, her face radiant as she looked down at him. “You’re free.”

She straightened and turned to Moonlight, her eyes bright and expectant. “Will you take him with you? Is he to become a LightClan warrior?”

Sky’s ears pricked eagerly at the suggestion, whirling quickly on Moonlight, waiting for his answer.

The LightClan sage hesitated. “Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident. You are strong with the Force, Sky, but you may not be accepted by the Council.”

Sky heard what he wanted to hear, blocking away everything else, seeing the possibilities that had fueled his hopes and dreams for so long come alive in a single heartbeat.

“A LightClan warrior!” he gasped. “You mean I get to go with you on your mission and everything!”

And be with Berryheart again! The thought struck him like a thunderbolt, wrapping him in such expectancy that it was all he could do to listen to what the LightClan sage told him.

Moonlight crouched before the kit, his face somber. “Sky, training to become a LightClan warrior will not be easy. It will be a challenge. And if you succeed, it will be a hard life.”

Sky shook himself quickly. “But it’s what I want! It’s what I’ve always dreamed about!” He looked quickly to his mother. “Can I go, Mom?”

But Moonlight drew him back with a touch of his tail. “This path has been placed before you, Sky. The choice to take it must be yours alone.”

The older and younger toms stared at each other. A mix of emotions roiled through Sky, threatening to wash him away, but at their forefront was the happiness he felt at finding the thing he wanted most within reach – to be a LightClan warrior, to journey down every path in existence.

He glanced quickly at his mother, at her worn, accepting face, seeing in her eyes that in this, as in all things, she wanted what was best for him.

His gaze returned to Moonlight. “I want to go,” he meowed.

“Then gather up anything you might wanted to bring,” the LightClan sage advised. “We haven’t much time.”

The kit jumped up excitedly, anxious already to be on his way. He rushed to his mother and rubbed his head against her as hard as he could manage, then broke away for his nesting chamber.

He moved only a few pawsteps when he realized he had forgotten something. A chill rushed through him as he whirled back to Moonlight. “What about Mom and Gold?” he asked hurriedly, eyes darting from one to the other. “Is Mom free, too? You’re both coming with us aren’t you, Mom?”

Moonlight and his mother exchanged a worried glance, and he knew the answer before the LightClan cat told him. “I tried to free your mother, Sky, but Dare wouldn’t have it. Serf-cats give status and lend prestige to their masters here. And your brother is too small to travel such a difference without her.”

The kit felt his chest and throat tighten. “But the Twoleg-scraps you gave …”

Moonlight dropped his ears. “It’s not nearly enough.”

There was a hushed silence, and then Stalk padded over to her son and sat in front of him. Her eyes were steady as she looked into his.

“Sky, my place is here,” she mewed quietly. “My future is here. It is time for you to let go … to let go of me and Gold. We cannot go with you.”

The kit swallowed hard. “I want to stay with you, then. I don’t want things to change.”

She purred encouragingly, pressing her nose to his head. “You can’t stop change any more than you can stop the sun from setting. Listen to your feelings, Sky. You know what’s right.”

Sky took a long, slow breath and dropped his gaze, his head lowering. Everything was coming apart inside, all the happiness melting away, all the expectancy fading. “But it’s so hard, Mom. I don’t know if I can!”

Stalk lowered herself to the ground. “Sky, remember when you climbed into that abandoned Twoleg den because you heard a new kit crying and you wanted to save him? You were just a whisker over three moons. Remember how you collapsed several times in the heat, exhausted, thinking you couldn’t do it, that it was too hard?”

Sky assented, glancing back up at her.

Stalk held his gaze. “This is one of those times when you have to do something you don’t think you can do. But I know how strong you are, Sky. I know you can do this.”

He gazed back at her for several heartbeats more. He pressed his muzzle to her shoulder, and raced from the chamber, whiskers trembling with sorrow.

Once within his nesting chamber, Sky stood staring blankly in sudden bewilderment. He was leaving, and he did not know when he would be coming back. He had never been anywhere but here, never known any cat but those who lived here and those who came to trade with them. He had dreamed about other places and other lives, about becoming wandering loner, and about becoming a LightClan warrior. But the impact of what it actually meant to be standing at the entrance of a path to the life he had so often wished for was overwhelming.

He had never, ever considered the possibility he would have to leave his mother and brother behind.

He shook out his fur, hearing his mother’s and Moonlight’s voices from the other chamber.

“Thank you,” his mother was mewing softly.

“I will watch over him. You have my word.” The LightClan tom’s deep voice was warm and reassuring. “Will you be alright?”

Sky forced himself to stop listening, and he searched about for a small Twoleg-pelt that he could stash Berryheart’s gift and couple of small Twoleg-scraps in. He slipped his head and one of his forelegs through a hole just large enough for him to do so and wriggled until it fit comfortably, hanging slightly below his chest. As he looked about for anything else he might consider wanting, he heard a slight sound and glanced over to the nest where Gold was blinking sleepily at him.

“What’s going on?” the smaller kit asked, sleep forgotten as he sat up and took in his brother’s appearance.

“Well, Gold, I’m leaving,” Sky mewed solemnly.

Gold’s eyes widened, then he scrambled out of the nest and raced over to his brother. “What do you mean?” he squeaked in alarm.

Sky drew a shaky breath. “I’m free. I’m going away with Moonlight …”

Gold stared up at him with his tail and ears lowered. “But, will I ever see you again?” he asked in desperation, giving voice to the worst of both their fears.

Sky flicked his tail doubtfully. “I don’t know. Yes, I think.”

Gold mewled plaintively, then pressed himself tightly against his brother. “I’m going to miss you so much, Sky,” he told him.

Sky wrapped his tail around the tiny kit. “I’m going to miss you, too. You’ve been a great brother. Take good care of Mom while I’m gone, alright?”

“I promise. Just promise you’ll come back and see us again someday.”

Sky rested his chin on top of Gold’s head. “I promise.”

The pair padded out of the nesting chamber. Sky pressed his nose to his mother’s one last time. “I will become a LightClan warrior,” he declared in a small voice. “And I will come back and free you, Mom. I promise.”

“No matter where you are, my kit, my love will be with you,” Stalk told him, her kind face level with his. “Now be brave, and don’t look back.”

“I love you both,” Sky meowed.

He turned and followed determinedly after Moonlight. Together they left the den and passed through the serf-cats’ section of the camp. Sky lifted his tail in farewell to Boulder and the other serf-cat kits that moved forward to see him off, then fixed his eyes forward. It took only a few heartbeats, and his mother, brother, and den were behind him.

They went to Dare’s trading-den first, where the loner was waiting with the necessary mixture required to assure Sky’s freedom. The herb-scent that bound Sky to his old life was removed permanently. Dare was still growling about the unfairness of things as they left him.

From there, at Sky’s urging, they made their way to Jira’s den a few pawsteps away. Sky trotted up to the old she-cat and placed the Twoleg-scraps he’d brought in front of her.

“I’ve been freed, Jira,” he told her, a determined look on his face. “I’m going away. Use these to trade for that moss I promised you. Otherwise, I’ll worry.”

Jira looked at the scraps in disbelief. She rose on shaky paws and pressed her nose against his head, her eyes closing as she did. “I’ll miss you, Sky,” she mewed, stepping away. “There isn’t a kinder kit alive. You be careful.”

He left her in a rush, racing after Moonlight, who was already moving away, anxious to get going. They moved in silence down the center of the camp, the kit’s eyes taking in familiar sights he would not soon see again, remembering his life here, bidding it farewell.

He was lost in his own thoughts when Moonlight halted abruptly. Sky nearly bumped right into him. The LightClan cat glanced uneasily around.

“What is it?” the kit asked, looking up at him.

“A bad feeling.” Moonlight’s eyes were sharp and bright as they moved from one side to the other.

“Come on, Sky,” he ordered, and they moved quickly away.


	13. Ambush and Missing Family

Moonlight led the kit out of the camp swiftly. All the while, his eyes, ears, and mind were searching, the first two searched his immediate surroundings, the last searched the Force. His instincts had alerted him to distant observation, and his training in the ways of the Force warned him now of something far more dangerous. He could feel a shifting in the balance of things that suggested an intrusion on the harmony that the Force required, a dark weight descending like a massive stone.

Once out on the desert sands, in the open, he picked up the pace. The ravine came into view, a dark line just ahead, a haven of safety. He heard Sky call out to him, the kit working hard to keep up, but beginning to fall behind.

Looking back to give his response and offer encouragement, he caught sight of the fast-approaching dark shape bearing down on them.

“Drop, Sky!” he yowled, whirling about.

The kit threw himself down, flattening against the sand as the pursuing cat flew overhead, barely missing him as he focused solely on Moonlight. The LightClan sage already had the covering on his Force-Crystal torn off, the green crystal activated, claws out and glowing brightly. The cat came at him, large and imposing. He was like nothing the LightClan tom had ever seen, but vaguely reminiscent of something long gone.

The cat raced out of the glare of the sun and was revealed. Dark red fur with darker, nearly black stripes framed bright yellow eyes, and long tufts of black fur rose from the tips of long ears. Long and lithe, his slitted eyes and long fangs were feral and predatory, and his yowl was a hunter’s challenge to his prey.

The primal screech had barely sounded before he was on top of Moonlight, lunging forward, twisting in midair, and unsheathing sharp claws, all in one swift motion. He bore a red Force-Crystal on his foreleg, and he had activated it and was slashing with glowing claws at the LightClan sage even before his paws had touched the ground. Moonlight, surprised by the other’s quickness and ferocity, barely blocked the blow with his own claws, the pair sliding apart with a harsh rasp of sand beneath them. The attacker spun away with a lash of his tail, then attacked anew, claws slashing at his intended prey, eyes alight with a killing frenzy that promised no mercy.

Sky was back on his paws, staring at them, clearly unable to decide what he should do. Fighting to hold his ground, Moonlight caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye.

“Sky! Get out of here!” he yowled.

His attacker closed with him again, forcing him back, striking at him from every angle. Even without knowing anything else, Moonlight knew this cat was trained in the warrior way of the Force, a skilled and dangerous adversary. Worse, he was younger, quicker, and stronger than Moonlight, and he was gaining ground rapidly. The LightClan sage blocked and dodged again and again, but could not find an opening that would provide any means of escape.

“Sky!” he screeched again, seeing the kit immobilized. “Get to the others! Tell them to run! Go, go!”

Pounding at the terrifying attacker with renewed determination, Moonlight saw the kit at last begin to run.

In a rush of emotions dominated by fear and doubt, Sky raced past the combatants for the ravine. It lay not three tree-lengths away, deep and shadowed from the hot sun. There was a cave at the bottom, but no sign of its occupants. Sky ran faster, fur flattening in the wind. He could feel his heart beating in his chest as he reached the ravine’s edge and bounded down and into the cave.

Just inside the entrance, he found Berryheart and a dark brown, muscular tom coming toward him. When Berryheart caught sight of him, her eyes went wide.

“Moonlight’s in trouble!” the kit blurted out, gasping for breath. “He says to run! Now!”

The tom stared, eyes questioning and suspicious. “Who are you?” he demanded.

But Berryheart was already moving, beckoning to Sky, whirling around to head further into the cave. “He’s a friend,” she answered, leading the way forward. “Hurry, Brownmoss.”

They rushed further into the cave, Sky trying to tell the she-cat what had happened, his words tumbling over one another, his eyes wide and anxious. Berryheart moved him along in a no-nonsense way, twitching an ear in understanding, telling him to hurry, taking charge of everything.

When they reached a tunnel in the back of the cavern, which the other two ForestClan apprentices had discovered led to the far-side of the ravine, they found the rest of the group. They turned at the approach of Sky and his companions. One of the cats closest to them, Sky was quite certain from the blue Force-Crystal attached to his right foreleg, was another LightClan warrior.

“Moonlight is in trouble,” Berryheart announced quickly.

“He says to flee,” Sky added in support.

The LightClan tom was on his paws at once. He was much younger than Moonlight, his eyes bright and intense, his fur a light, dusty brown save for his left forepaw which was white. “Where is he?” he demanded. Then, without waiting for an answer, he whirled around and raced for the tunnel. The other cats hurried to follow him up.

The tunnel was easy to traverse and the group streamed out quickly. As Brownmoss led the main group away from the ravine, the LightClan cat darted to the edge of the ravine and began looking out across the flats on the other side. Owlwing, Berryheart, and Sky followed after him.

“I don’t see anything,” the ForestClan tom meowed, peering carefully.

“Over there!” The sharp eyes of the LightClan cat caught sight of movement just fox-lengths from the other edge. “We have to do something! Now!”

He started running alongside the ravine’s edge, while the others scrambled to keep up. A tall boulder, just a whisker-length shorter than the ravine itself, perched precariously at the ravine’s edge just ahead of them.

“There,” the LightClan cat breathed, aiming toward it.

They could see Moonlight now, engaged in battle with the large, feral tom. The combatants lunged back and forth across the flats, claws and crystals glowing brightly with each blow struck, sand and dust swirling in all directions. The two older toms dug frantically at the base of the boulder. Sky held his breath as the rock began to shift. Owlwing pulled a few more small rocks away, flicking his tail to gesture the others away as the boulder began to tilt toward the ravine.

“Stand by,” he ordered as the boulder fell forward, the very tip of it hitting the other side.

The combatants disappeared in a fresh swirl of sand and the glare of the sun. All eyes focused on the fallen boulder, searching desperately.

Then Moonlight appeared, leaping onto the boulder, gaining purchase, claws scrabbling for support. The younger LightClan cat moved forward to meet him. But the rogue attacker was already in pursuit, racing out of the haze and leaping onto the rock as it began to crack. Balanced precariously against the shifting of the boulder, eyes flaring in rage, he fought to keep his footing.

Moonlight attacked at once, rushing the other tom, closing with him at the edge of the rock. The cracks were deepening by now, the boulder beginning to crumble as the other cats saw the combatants clash yet again. The LightClan sage and his adversary were both breathing heavily, muscles tight with determination.

“Moonlight,” Sky heard the second LightClan cat mew quietly, desperately, watching the battle for just a heartbeat more, then shaking his head and racing toward the boulder.

Sky watched Moonlight step back, send more Force-energy into his claws, and swing a final, powerful blow at his attacker. The large tom blocked it, but only barely, and in the process lost his balance completely. The blow’s force swept him away, clear of the boulder and off into air. He dropped down into the ravine, landed in a crouch, and rose instantly to his paws. But the chase was over. He stood watching in frustration, yellow eyes aflame, as the LightClan sage raced to the others and the boulder broke apart to fall in a cloud of dust.

Moonlight had barely managed to scramble across the boulder and onto the other side of the ravine before the rock collapsed and fell to the bottom of the ravine. Only when the group had run far enough that they could see green ahead and the ravine was far behind them did the LightClan sage finally collapse. He lay on his side, his fur dusty, his body bruised and battered. He breathed deeply, waiting for his pounding heart to quiet. He had barely escaped with his life, and the thought was worrisome. His opponent was strong and had tested him severely. He was getting old, he decided, and he did not like the feeling.

Sunpaw and Sky rushed ahead of the other two cats trailing him to help him to his paws, and it was hard to tell which of them looked the most worried. It made him purr in spite of himself.

The kit opened his jaws first. “Are you alright?” he asked, his wide eyes matching his concern.

Moonlight dipped his head, shaking the dust from his pelt. “I think so. That was a surprise I won’t soon forget.”

“What was that?” Sunpaw pressed, ears tilted back darkly. _He wants to go back and pick up where I left off,_ Moonlight thought.

The LightClan sage flicked his tail. “I’m not sure. Whoever he was, he was trained in the warrior way of the Force. My guess is he was after Forestspeaker.”

The two ForestClan cats caught up in time to hear his last assertion. “Do you think he’ll follow us?” Berryheart asked quickly.

“We’ll be safe enough once this place is far behind us,” Moonlight replied, sidestepping the question. “But I have no doubt he knows our destination. If he found us once, he can find us again.”

The kit’s ears fell. “What are we going to do about it?”

At this point, Sunpaw turned to stare at the kit, giving him a look that demanded in no uncertain terms, _What do you mean by “we”?_ The kit caught the look and stared back at him, expressionless.

“We will be patient,” Moonlight advised, lifting his tail, drawing their attention back to him. “Sky, meet Sunpaw.”

The kit beamed. “Pleased to meet you. StarClan! You’re a LightClan warrior, too, aren’t you?”

The younger LightClan tom looked from the kit to Moonlight and turned his gaze upward in despair.

They moved on until they caught up to the rest of group, which had stopped to wait for them. Bluepaw hurried over to give the last of the travelling herbs to Moonlight and Sky. As the sun started setting, the group hurried away, leaving the Great-Sand-Place far behind.

Night lay over the territory that had once belonged to ForestClan. In the large camp that had once been the sole province of Forestspeaker, a large assembly of cats gathered to witness the sentencing of Bubblenose. FieldClan’s leader, Newtstar, had convened the assembled, which consisted of Hawkfur and several other FieldClan cats, and the ForestClan medicine cat and a small number of other ForestClan cats, all of whom were guarded by more FieldClan warriors.

The FieldClan leader was sitting on the large root normally reserved for Forestspeaker. He stared levelly at the prisoners, noting the fear in the eyes and scent of the ForestClan cats backing Bubblenose.

The ForestClan medicine cat was having none of it, however. Steadfast even now, he faced Newtstar with anger and determination, his tail raised, and his eyes challenging. The FieldClan leader glared at him; Bubblenose was becoming a source of irritation.

“When are you going to give up this pointless resistance?” he hissed at the medicine cat, leaning forward slightly and lashing his tail to emphasize his displeasure.

“I will give up this resistance, Newtstar, when Forestspeaker–”

“Forestspeaker is lost; your Clanmates are starving!”

Bubblenose stiffened. “ForestClan will not be intimidated, not even at the cost of innocent lives–”

“Perhaps you should worry more about yourself, Bubblenose!” Newtstar cut him off sharply. “The odds are good that you are going to die much sooner than your Clanmates!” He was shaking with rage, and all at once his patience was exhausted. “Enough of this!” he snarled. “Take him away!”

The FieldClan warriors moved quickly, surrounding the ForestClan cats and leading them out.

“This invasion will gain you nothing!” the medicine cat yowled back as he was forced away. “We vote for how we live! The cats of our Clan have decided, Newtstar! They will not live in tyranny …”

The rest of his rant was lost as he disappeared through the camp entrance and beyond. The other ForestClan cats padded out after him, silent and dejected.

The FieldClan leader stared after them for a heartbeat, then turned his attention to Slenderleg as the warrior approached, eyes expressionless.

“The patrols are in position to begin searching the swamp for this rumored Tribe,” Slenderleg reported. “These cats will not be hidden for long.”

Newtstar dipped his head and dismissed him with a wave of his tail. He thought nothing of the strange cats who occupied the swamp. They would be crushed in short order. For all intents and purposes, the entire territory was in his control.

He stretched out on the mossy root, a measure of calmness returning. All that remained was for the DarkClan cats to bring him Forestspeaker. Certainly they should have little difficulty in accomplishing that.

Nevertheless, he knew he wouldn’t be happy until this business was over.

In a small grove of trees far away from ForestClan’s territory, Sky lay shivering between a couple of tree-roots, trying to decide what he should do to get warm. The other cats were asleep, and he had been asleep as well, but only for a short time, troubled by his dreams. He came awake to the silence and could not make himself move, paralyzed by more than simply the cold.

Frog slept beneath a tree across from him, stretched out on his back, snoring loudly. Nothing kept the Tribe cat from sleeping. Or eating, for that matter. The kit purred briefly. Bluepaw rested close by, curled up with the other two ForestClan apprentices.

Sky stared into the darkness, willing himself to move, to leave the slight comfort of the Twoleg pelt he still had. But his dreams haunted him still. He found himself thinking of his mother and brother, and everything curled up inside. He missed them so much! He had thought it would get better once he was away, but it hadn’t. Everything reminded him of them, and if he tried to close his eyes against those memories, he found their faces waiting for him, suspended in the darkness of his thoughts.

Sorrow struck his heart, unbidden. Maybe he had made a mistake by coming. Maybe he should go home. Except he couldn’t now. Maybe not ever again.

A slender shape passed by the sleeping cats, and Sky watched the moon’s light illuminate Berryheart’s soft face. Standing as if made from stone, she looked out over the land far past where they had come from. She gazed far beyond, distance in her eyes, then sat quietly with her head bent and her ears lowered.

What was she doing?

Suddenly she seemed to sense him watching, and turned quickly toward where he lay. Her beautiful face seemed tired and careworn as she approached and crouched beside him. He stiffened, trying desperately to shove his sadness away, but he couldn’t hide either the misery or his shivering, and was left huddled before her, revealed.

“Are you alright, Sky?” she asked him softly.

“It’s very cold,” he managed to mew.

She purred and curled up next to him, wrapping her tail around his small body. “You’re from a place that only knows warmth, Sky. Leaf-fall away from there is cold.”

Sky flicked an ear, curling up more tightly. He looked up at her. “You seem sad,” he mewed.

If she saw the irony in his observation, she did not say so. “Forestspeaker is worried. Her Clan is suffering, dying. She must convince the Tribe of Gathering to intervene, or else …” She trailed off, unwilling to continue that thought. “I’m not sure what will happen,” she finished, her voice distant, her eyes sliding away from his to fix on something else.

“I’m not sure what’s going to happen to me, either,” he admitted worriedly. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see–”

He stopped, his throat tightening, the words fading away into silence. He took a deep breath, tilted his ears back, and reached into the Twoleg pelt.

“Here,” he mewed, “I found this for you. So you’d remember me. It was in one of the old Twoleg scraps I was organizing for Dare. Take it.”

He passed her a loop of something soft yet strong, with a small colored stone attached to it. She studied it for a heartbeat, face lowered in shadow, then managed to slip it around her foreleg.

“It’s beautiful. But I don’t need this to remember you.” Her face lifted to his with a soft purr. “How could I forget my future mate?” She looked down at the stone wrapped around her foreleg, studying it thoughtfully. “Many things will change when we reach the Gathering Place, Sky. My caring for you will not be one of them.”

The kit dipped his head, swallowing. “I know. And I won’t stop caring for you, either. Only, I miss–”

His voice broke, and he buried his nose beneath his tail.

“You miss your family,” the she-cat finished quietly.

Sky dropped his ears miserably, unable to utter anything more as Berryheart curled more tightly around him.


	14. Concerns and Requests

Sky stared at the large forest of old, long-abandoned Twoleg-dens in awe, searching for a break in the endless stone, finding none. He glanced at Bluepaw beside him, and Bluepaw purred.

“The Gathering Place, home of the Tribe of Gathering, former Twoleg-dens now used by cats.” He tilted his head with a twinkle in his eye. “A nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.”

“It’s so big!” the younger tom breathed softly.

The cats hurried down the hill toward an open area with several cats moving about. Robinpaw joined Bluepaw in explaining how the Tribe of Gathering worked to Sky, who listened with half an ear, his attention still held captive by the vastness of the stone dens. Frog padded along to one side of them, peering forward past the rest of the group, clearly terrified by what he was seeing. Sky knew the Tribe of Deep Waters cat must long for the familiarity of his swamp home, just as the kit was thinking how much better he liked the desert.

The group slowed now, pausing briefly to rearrange themselves as they got closer to the main area. Sky peered down doubtfully. There were far more cats here than he had ever seen in his entire six moons. He tore his gaze away, swallowing hard.

The two ForestClan apprentices hurried to get into their assigned positions. Forestspeaker was waiting patiently, flanked by her Clanmates. She dipped her head at Moonlight, indicating that he should lead the way. Giving Berryheart a quick dip of his head and a small purr, Sky followed close behind the LightClan sage as he moved toward the open area.

Three tree-lengths farther, and the LightClan cats, Sky, and Frog stepped onto the smooth, stony ground of the Gathering Place. The kit spent the first few heartbeats concentrating on not being overwhelmed, which became even more difficult as they gained more attention from the surrounding cats. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his paws and Moonlight, not allowing himself to look around at first for fear he might get separated from the group.

Two cats sat at the edge of the camp with an air of authority, flanked by a group of Tribe warriors. The LightClan cats approached the pair and lowered their heads formally in greeting. Sky and Frog were quick to do the same.

Now Forestspeaker approached, surrounded by her warriors. Brownmoss padded along at her shoulder with his apprentice, Jaypaw, close at his tail. She stopped before the two waiting cats, eyes shifting to the ginger tom with the kindly face and anxious eyes. Foxfur, ForestClan’s mediator in the Tribe of Gathering, lowered his head in welcome, tail curled around his white paws.

“It is a great relief to see you alive and well, Forestspeaker,” he offered with a purr, straightening once more. “May I present the leader of the Tribe of Gathering, Lionstar.”

Lionstar was a tall, light brown tabby tom of indeterminate age, neither young nor old in appearance, but something of each, his bearing and voice strong, but his whiskers were silver and his startling grey eyes tired and worried.

“Welcome, Forestspeaker,” he mewed, a faint purr emerging despite his stern features. “It is an honor to finally meet you. I must relay to you how distressed every cat is over the current situation in ForestClan. I have called for an emergency Gathering so that you may present your request for relief.”

Forestspeaker held his gaze without moving even a whisker, regally standing as still and cool as ice. “I am grateful for your concern, Lionstar,” she mewed quietly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sky recognized Berryheart giving him a sidelong stare from behind one of the other ForestClan cats. When he turned toward her, she tilted her head in his direction and offered him a quiet purr, and he felt warmth curl beneath his fur.

Foxfur had moved to the ForestClan leader’s side and was indicating a direction farther into the camp. “There is a question of procedure, but I feel confident we can overcome it,” he was meowing, guiding her away, the other ForestClan cats in tow.

Sky started to follow, Frog at his side, then stopped as he saw that the LightClan cats were still standing with Lionstar. Sky glanced back questioningly at Moonlight, not certain where he was supposed to go. The ForestClan cats slowed in response, and Berryheart motioned with her tail for Sky and the Tribe of Deep Waters cat to join them. Sky looked again at Moonlight, who dipped his head in agreement.

Moving quickly to join the group, Sky and Frog settled quietly at the very back with Bluepaw and Robinpaw. Foxfur glanced back at them from the front, ear twitching in skepticism before he turned away again.

“Me not feeling too good about being here, Sky,” the Tribe of Deep Waters cat hissed doubtfully.

Sky dipped his head and flicked his tail determinedly.

They went only a couple of tree-lengths to a large cluster of Twoleg dens used by the Clan mediators. There, they were escorted by Foxfur to his den, a part of which had been made ready for Forestspeaker and her group. Sky and Frog were given a nesting chamber and a chance to eat and groom themselves and were left alone. After a time, they were collected by one of the warriors – not Berryheart, Sky noted with disappointment – and escorted to right outside what appeared to be the central chamber of Foxfur’s den.

“Wait here,” the she-cat instructed, and disappeared into a different chamber.

The entrance to the central chamber was unguarded, and the kit and the Tribe cat could see inside clearly. Forestspeaker was present, freshly covered in clay-dust and crushed tansy which disguised her fur and scent. She was sitting on a large, flat stone covered with an old Twoleg-pelt, listening to Foxfur. A couple of her warriors stood to one side. Sky did not recognize either as Berryheart. He wondered if he should try to find her instead of waiting here, but he did not know where to look.

The conversation within seemed decidedly one-sided, Foxfur lashing his tail animatedly as he stalked around the chamber, Forestspeaker as still as stone. Sky wished he could hear what was being discussed. He glanced at Frog, and he could tell from the Tribe cat’s restless eyes he was thinking the same thing.

When Brownmoss padded past them and into the chamber beyond, blocking them from view for just a heartbeat, Sky rose impulsively. Motioning with his tail for Frog to silently stay where he was, he moved to one side of the entrance, pressing close. Straining his ears carefully, he could just make out the voices of Foxfur and Forestspeaker, muffled and indistinct.

Foxfur had stopped moving and was standing before Forestspeaker, tilting his ears down. “The Tribe of Gathering is not what it once was. The mediators are little more than greedy, squabbling kits who are only looking out for themselves and their Clans. There is no interest in the common good – no civility.” He sighed wearily. “It’s fox-dung. I must be honest, Forestspeaker. There is little chance the Tribe will act on the invasion.”

The ForestClan leader was silent for a heartbeat. “Lionstar seems to think there is hope.”

“If I may say so, Forestspeaker,” the mediator replied, his voice kind, but sad, “Lionstar has little real power. He is mired in baseless accusations of corruption. The mediators are in charge now.”

Forestspeaker rose, standing tall and fixed before him, tail held high. “What options do we have, Foxfur?”

Foxfur seemed to think on the matter for a heartbeat or two. “Our best choice would be to push for a vote for a stronger leader – one who could take control of the mediators, enforce the laws, and give us justice.” He shook out his pelt, flicking his tail. “You could call for a vote of no confidence in Lionstar.”

Forestspeaker did not seem convinced. “Lionstar has been our strongest supporter. Is there no other way?”

Foxfur stood before her. “Our only other choice would be to submit the matter to a trial and –”

“There is no time for that,” Forestspeaker interrupted quickly, lashing her tail in anger. “A trial would take even longer than a Gathering.” She unsheathed her claws purposefully, an edge sharpening her words further. “Our Clanmates are suffering – more and more each day. We must do something quickly. We must stop FieldClan before things get any worse.”

Foxfur gave his leader a stern look. “To be realistic about the matter, Forestspeaker, I believe we are going to have to accept FieldClan control as an accomplished fact – for the time being, at least.”

Forestspeaker slowly flattened her ears. “That is something I cannot do, Foxfur.”

They faced each other in the silence that followed, eyes locked, and Sky, hiding to one side of the entrance without, found himself wondering suddenly what had become of Moonlight.

Unlike other Clan camps, the LightClan camp was positioned inside of a Twoleg den very near the Gathering Place. A vast cavern-like den, made of stone and the same strange material used to hold the LightClan cats’ Force-Crystals, lay long-abandoned atop a hill overlooking the Gathering Place. Within the den lived the sages, warriors, apprentices, and young kits of LightClan, the whole of the Clan engaged in contemplation and study of the Force, in codification of its dictates and mastery of its disciplines, and in training to serve the greater good it embodied.

The Council chamber dominated the highest chamber in the den. The Council itself was assembled, the tunnel leading to it empty and guarded, its proceedings hidden from the eyes and ears of all but fourteen cats. Ten of them – some toms, some she-cats – were the council cats, a diverse and seasoned group who had come from every Clan. Two more were the Clan’s leader and deputy. The final two cats, who were guests of the Council at this time, were Moonlight and Sunpaw.

The stones the leader, deputy, and council cats sat on formed a circle around where Moonlight and Sunpaw stood, the former relating the events of the past couple of moons, the latter a step behind his mentor, listening attentively. The chamber was circular and cave-like, with tall stones spaced between holes in the walls that were open to the outside light. The shape of the chamber and the Council seating reflected the LightClan belief in the equality of and interconnection between all things. In the minds of the LightClan cats, the balance of life within the Force was the pathway to understanding and peace.

Moonlight studied the faces of his listeners, each of them familiar to him. The council cats were sages like himself, with Lightstar and Violetlight, their leader and deputy respectively, being the most senior of those present. They were more compliant in the ways of the LightClan code than he had ever been or would probably ever be.

He stood apart on a circle of colored stones that served as a speaker’s platform for those who addressed the Council, his tall, muscular frame and deep voice commanding the attention of those gathered, his blue eyes fixing them each in turn, constantly searching for a reaction to his report. They watched him carefully – dignified Palelight, young and beautiful Corallight, slender Deeplight, solemn and still Slatelight, and all the others, each different and unique in appearance, each with something vital to offer as a representative of the Council.

Moonlight brought his eyes back to Violetlight and Lightstar, the ones he must convince, the ones most respected and powerful of the LightClan cats.

“My conclusion,” he finished quietly, his story completed, “is that the one who attacked me at the Great-Sand-Place is a DarkClan warrior.”

The silence that followed was palpable. Then there was a stirring of pelts, a shifting of bodies. Glances were exchanged and mews of disbelief quickly uttered.

“A DarkClan warrior?” Violetlight repeated with a growl, leaning forward. He was a strong, dark brown tom with a smooth pelt and penetrating eyes, young in appearance despite his seasons.

“Impossible!” Palelight snarled with a lash of his tail, not bothering to hide his dismay at the suggestion. “DarkClan has been gone for many seasons!”

Lightstar shifted only slightly in his place, a small and aged presence in the company of much larger cats, his eyes gone to slits, his old, grey face turned toward Moonlight’s thoughtfully.

“Threatened, all Clans are, if DarkClan is involved,” he observed in his soft, gravelly voice.

The others began to discuss anew among themselves. Moonlight kept quiet, waiting them out. They had believed DarkClan destroyed. They had believed them consumed by their own lust for power. He could feel Sunpaw shift uncomfortably at his shoulder, having trouble maintaining his silence.

Violetlight leaned back with a heavy breath, ears falling back slightly. “This is difficult to accept, Moonlight. I do not understand how DarkClan could have returned without us knowing.”

“Hard to see, the dark side is,” Lightstar meowed with a slight huff. “Discover who this assassin is, we must.”

“Perhaps he will reveal himself again,” Palelight suggested, dipping his head to Moonlight.

“Yes,” Violetlight agreed. “This attack was with purpose, that much is clear. Forestspeaker is his target. Since he failed once, he may try again.”

Lightstar lifted his skinny tail, pointing at Moonlight. “With the ForestClan leader, you must stay, Moonlight. Protect her, you must.”

The others meowed their approval, evidencing the confidence they felt in the sage’s abilities. Still Moonlight kept silent.

“We shall work to unravel this mystery and discover the identity of your attacker,” Violetlight advised. He lifted his tail in dismissal. “May the Force be with you, Moonlight.”

“May the Force be with you,” Lightstar echoed.

Sunpaw turned to leave. He stopped when Moonlight did not follow, but instead remained standing before the Council. Sunpaw held his breath, knowing what was coming.

Lightstar tilted his head questioningly. “More to say, have you, Moonlight?”

“With your permission, Lightstar,” the sage replied, gaze steady. “I have encountered a vergence in the Force.”

Lightstar’s eyes widened slightly. “A vergence, you say?”

“Located around a cat?” Violetlight asked quickly.

Moonlight dipped his head. “A kit. His Force-Energy is the strongest I have ever sensed in any creature.” He paused. “It is possible he was sired by Force-Energy.”

There was a shocked silence this time. Moonlight was suggesting the impossible, that the kit was sired not by another cat, but by the essence of all life, by the connection to the Force itself, Force-Energy. Comprising collective consciousness and intelligence, Force-Energy formed the link between everything living and the Force.

But there was more that troubled the Council. There was a prophecy, so old its origins had long since been lost, that a chosen one would appear, imbued with an abundance of Force-Energy, a cat strong with the Force and destined to alter it forever.

It was Violetlight who gave voice to the Council’s thoughts. “You refer to the prophecy,” he mewed quietly. “Of the one who will bring balance to the Force. You believe it is this kit.”

Moonlight hesitated. “I don’t presume –”

“But you do!” Lightstar snarled challengingly. “Revealed, your opinion is, Moonlight!”

The sage took a deep breath. “I request the kit be assessed.”

Again, there was silence as the cats of the Council exchanged glances, communicating silently.

Eyes shifted back to Moonlight. “To be trained as a LightClan warrior, you request for him?” Lightstar asked softly.

“Finding him was the will of the Force.” Moonlight pressed ahead recklessly. “I have no doubt of it. There is too much happening here for it to be anything else.”

Violetlight raised his tail, bringing the debate to a close. “Bring him before us, then.”

Lightstar dipped his head somberly, eyes closing. “Assessed, he will be.”

“It is time to be going, Forestspeaker,” Foxfur advised, moving to lead the way.

Forestspeaker rose, and Sky hurried back to sit next to Frog, giving the Tribe of Deep Waters cat another warning glance for good measure. Frog looked hurt.

“Me not going to tell them,” he protested.

A heartbeat later Foxfur ushered Forestspeaker and the ForestClan warriors out of the chamber. The mediator went by the kit and the Tribe cat without a glance and headed for the den entrance immediately.

Forestspeaker slowed just a whisker as she passed Sky.

“Why don’t you come with us,” the warrior Silverfoot mewed without looking at him, her voice too quiet to be overheard. “This time you won’t have to listen from the edge of an entrance.”

Sky and Frog exchanged a startled, chagrined look, then rose and followed after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, folks! I'm so glad you've been reading this fic. Please feel free to comment any thoughts you have on the story so far or even on what is yet to come. (I will have eight more stories to go after this one is finished after all)


	15. Gathering and Assessment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of things for you guys: First, I may or may not be going on a trip so I'm going to try to get the next chapter up early. Second, the List of Allegiances received a minor update with this chapter.

While the others waited without, Forestspeaker, accompanied by two of her warriors, retreated to her nesting chamber long enough to reapply clay-dust and crushed tansy and catmint to her pelt, ensuring that her scent and fur color remained hidden. She emerged with her head and tail held high, and she walked past a wondering Sky and Frog as if she had come down out of Silverpelt to mix with the living, all cool grace and extraordinary beauty, aloof and untouchable.

Tallear and Silverfoot, the she-cats who had accompanied her earlier, were present again, and they trailed Forestspeaker in a silent glide. Again Sky looked for Berryheart and did not find her.

“Please lead the way,” Forestspeaker requested of Foxfur, beckoning with her tail for the kit, the Tribe of Deep Waters cat, Brownmoss, and Jaypaw to accompany them.

They walked from Foxfur’s den along the stone pathways and, eventually, to a group of larger Twoleg dens. Once inside, they found the tunnels empty of almost every cat, save for a scattering of Tribe of Gathering warriors, and the company proceeded unchallenged. Sky glanced around in awe at the tall cavern, at the forest of Twoleg dens visible through the large holes in the walls, imagining what it would be like to live in a place like the Gathering Place.

When they reached the mediating chamber, he had cause to wonder anew.

The chamber was circular and massive, with large openings at various levels above the main floor. At the center of the chamber, a massive ledge served as the Tribe leader’s place, a broad area that allowed Lionstar, who was already present, to see and be seen by every cat in attendance along with his deputy and medicine cat. All around the chamber, groups made up of mediators and other cats from their Clans huddled together on the Twoleg-stumps that filled the chamber, strange ledges with tall perches connected to them. When a mediator requested permission to speak and was recognized by the leader, they would leap onto their stump’s perch, where they would remain until the speech was concluded.

Sky picked up on all of this in a matter of heartbeats, trailing ForestClan leader and mediator to the ForestClan stump. Light streamed into the chamber from large holes in the walls, brightening the cavern-like interior. Cats hurried about carrying messages from one group to the next.

“If the FieldClan mediator moves to defer the motion, Forestspeaker,” Foxfur was urging, his head bent close to the ForestClan leader, “I beg of you to ask for a resolution to end this session and call for a vote for a new Tribe leader.”

Forestspeaker did not look at him, continuing to advance toward the ForestClan stump. “I wish I had your confidence in this proposal, Foxfur,” she replied quietly.

“You must force a vote for a new Tribe leader,” Foxfur pressed. I promise you there are many who will support us. It is our best chance.” He glanced toward the central ledge and Lionstar. “Our only chance.”

Low mews rose from the assembled as they caught sight of Forestspeaker standing before the ForestClan stump, head erect, features calm. If she heard the change in tenor of the level of conversation around her, she gave no sign. Her eyes shifted briefly to Foxfur.

“You truly believe Lionstar will not bring our motion to a vote?” she asked quietly.

Foxfur flicked his tail, his ears tilting back. “He is distracted. He is afraid. He will be of no help.”

Silverfoot indicated for Sky and Frog to stay below the stump. Leaping onto the stump with Foxfur, Forestspeaker was joined by the other ForestClan cats. Sky was disappointed at not being included, but grateful when he discovered they were located high enough that he could still hear and see everything that was happening.

“She’s going to ask the Tribe of Gathering for help, Frog,” he hissed, leaning over excitedly. “What do you think?”

Frog flicked his tail and shook out his fur. “Me think this mouse-brained, Sky. Too many cats to be agreeing on the one thing.”

Foxfur rose on his hind legs and braced a paw against the perch at the back of the stump, waiting for permission to clamber up. The other ForestClan cats were crouched down now, facing forward.

Lionstar dipped his head in the direction of Foxfur. “The Tribe of Gathering acknowledges the mediator from ForestClan.”

Foxfur leapt onto the perch and stood with his tail high, taking in the assemblage with a slow sweeping gaze that drew all eyes toward his.

“Lionstar, mediators of all Clans,” his voice echoed loudly, quieting the chamber. “A tragedy has occurred in my home territory of ForestClan. We have become caught up in a dispute, one of which you are all well aware. It began with a regulation on travel between Clans and has turned into an oppressive and lawless occupation of a peaceful Clan’s territory. FieldClan bears responsibility for this injustice and must be made to answer…”

Another cat was scrabbling onto his Clan’s perch now, the FieldClan mediator, Divepad.

“This is fox-dung!” the FieldClan mediator yowled, tail lashing angrily. A skinny, older tom, he leaned toward the central ledge like a willow tree. “I object to Foxfur’s featherbrained assertions and ask that he be silenced at once!”

Lionstar’s brown tabby head turned briefly in Divepad’s direction and his tail lifted. “The Tribe of Gathering does not recognize the mediator from FieldClan at this time.” The Tribe leader’s voice was soft, but steady. “Stand down.”

Divepad looked as if he might continue further, but then he dropped back down.

“To state our allegations in full,” Foxfur continued, “I present the recently selected Forestspeaker, leader of ForestClan, to speak on our behalf.”

He dropped down from the perch, and Forestspeaker ascended gracefully to a scattering of welcoming mews. Standing as tall as she could, she faced Lionstar. “Honorable cats of the Tribe of Gathering, distinguished mediators, and noble Lionstar. I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. In rejection and violation of the laws of the Tribe of Gathering, ForestClan’s territory has been invaded by the warriors of FieldClan –”

Divepad flew back onto his ledge, yowling angrily. “I object! This is a load of badger droppings! Where is the proof?” He did not wait for recognition as he turned to the chamber at large. “I recommend a group be sent to ForestClan to learn the truth of these allegations.”

Lionstar flicked his tail. “Overruled.”

Divepad sighed heavily and lashed his tail as if with that single statement his life had become hopeless. “Lionstar, you cannot allow us to be condemned without granting our request for an impartial observation. It is against all the rules of procedure!”

He scanned the chamber for help, and there were mews of agreement from the mediators. A third cat rose and was granted permission by Lionstar to address the assembly. Longeye, the CanyonClan mediator, climbed onto his perch.

Stocky and slow-moving, the old tom lifted his heavy tail. “The mediator of CanyonClan concurs with the honorable mediator of FieldClan.” His voice was thick and shaky. “An impartial observation, once requested, must be assigned, where there is a dispute of the sort we have encountered here. It is the law.”

Lionstar hesitated. “The point is…”

He trailed off uncertainly, left the statement unfinished, and turned to confer with his deputy, identified to Sky and Frog as Loudear. Loudear was a blue tabby tom with the largest ears Sky had ever seen on a cat. Together with the medicine cat, Slyfoot, they engaged in a hurried discussion. Sky and Frog exchanged worried glances as Foxfur’s voice reached them from above.

“Enter the true leaders of the Tribe of Gathering,” he was hissing to Forestspeaker. Carefully looking up, Sky could see the ForestClan leader leaning forward to hear. Foxfur’s tone was heavy. “This is where Lionstar’s strength will disappear.”

Lionstar had moved back to his place at the front of the ledge, tail and ears lowered wearily. “The point is conceded. A request for impartial observation takes precedence here.” He dipped his head toward the ForestClan stump. “Forestspeaker, leader of ForestClan, will you defer your motion in order to allow an impartial observation by the Tribe of Gathering to explore the validity of your accusations?”

Sky saw the ForestClan leader stiffen in surprise, fur rising slowly along her back to stand on end, and when she responded, her voice was edged with anger and determination.

“I will not defer,” she declared, eyes locked on Lionstar. “I have come before you to resolve this attack on ForestClan now. I was not selected to take the name Forestspeaker only to watch my Clanmates suffer and die while you discuss this invasion as a group assessment. If the leader of the Tribe of Gathering is not capable of action, I suggest new leadership is needed.” She paused. “I move for a vote of no confidence in the leader of the Tribe of Gathering.”

Voices rose immediately in response, some in support, some in protest. Mediators and spectators alike rose to their paws, loud mews quickly building to yowls that echoed throughout the cavernous chamber. Lionstar stood silently on the ledge, stunned and disbelieving. He stared at Forestspeaker, eyes wide and ears lowered in sudden shock as the impact of her announcement registered. Forestspeaker faced him boldly, waiting with her tail held high.

Loudear moved in front of Lionstar, taking charge of the chaos. “Order!” he yowled, large ears flapping with the effort. “We shall have order!”

The assembly quieted then, and the cats settled back down, responding to Loudear’s command. Sky noticed Divepad exchanging a quick glance with Foxfur.

A new cat rose to stand atop the perch on his Clan’s stump, and Loudear acknowledged Bearfrost, the mediator from MountainClan.

“MountainClan seconds the motion for a vote of no confidence in Lionstar,” Bearfrost intoned in a sibilant voice.

Loudear did not look pleased. “The motion has been seconded.”

He turned now to Lionstar, mewing quietly to him, keeping his voice low. Lionstar looked at him uncomprehendingly, eyes distant and lost.

“There must be no delays,” Longeye of CanyonClan declared loudly, drawing Loudear’s attention back to him. “The motion is put fully forth and must be voted on at once.”

Divepad was back on his ledge. “I move the motion be sent for further study –”

The mediators all started yowling anew, chanting loudly, “Vote now! Vote now!” Loudear was deep in discussion with Lionstar, tail-tip on his shoulder as if to bring him back from wherever he’d gone by sheer force of determination.

“You see, Forestspeaker, the wind blows toward us,” Sky heard Foxfur announce quietly to the ForestClan leader. The kit’s eyes moved upward. “Lionstar will be voted out and his remaining lives removed by StarClan, I assure you, and they will elect a new leader, a strong leader, one who will not let our tragedy be ignored…”

Loudear was back at the front of the ledge, addressing the mediators. “Lionstar requests that this Gathering be paused.”

Yowls rose from the mediators, echoing across the chamber in waves as Lionstar stared at Foxfur and Forestspeaker, and even from where he crouched beneath the ForestClan stump, Sky could discern the look of betrayal registered in the tom’s anguished eyes.

A little after sunhigh, Sky stuck his head into the unguarded entrance of Forestspeaker’s nesting chamber in search of Berryheart and found himself face-to-face with Forestspeaker instead. The ForestClan leader was sitting alone in the center of the chamber, her warm brown eyes directed toward him, her slender, solitary form covered in clay-dust, tansy, and catmint yet still radiant.

“Excuse me,” Sky mewed quickly. “Forestspeaker.”

She dipped her head silently, the motion smooth and graceful.

“I was looking for Berryheart,” he continued, standing rooted in placed in the middle of the entrance, undecided on whether to stay or go. He glanced around doubtfully. “Moonlight came and said he will take me before LightClan’s Council. I wanted Berryheart to know.”

One of Forestspeaker’s ears twitched as a faint purr escaped her. “Berryheart isn’t here, Sky. I sent her on an errand.”

“Oh,” he mewed quietly.

“But I will give her your message.”

The kit purred. “Maybe I will become a LightClan warrior!” he exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement.

Forestspeaker dipped her head. “Maybe you will.”

“I think Berryheart would like that.”

“I think she would, too.”

Sky backed away. “I didn’t mean to…” He searched for the term and couldn’t find it.

“May StarClan light your path,” the ForestClan leader mewed softly. “Good hunting.”

He spun away with a loud purr and was racing toward the den entrance.

The day passed quickly for Moonlight and Sunpaw, and sundown found them sitting together on a ledge high up on the side of the stone Twoleg den that served as the LightClan camp, overlooking the Gathering Place below. Neither had uttered anything to the other for some time. They had collected Sky from Foxfur’s den following his return from the Gathering and brought him before the Council for examination. Now they were awaiting a decision.

As far as Sunpaw was concerned, it was a foregone conclusion. The young LightClan apprentice was frustrated and embarrassed for his mentor, who had clearly overstepped his bounds once again. Moonlight had been right in his suspicion that the kit was possessed of an inordinately high amount of Force-Energy. Sunpaw had sensed it himself. But that alone was not enough to demonstrate Sky was the chosen one. If there even was such a one, which Sunpaw seriously doubted. There were hundreds of these old prophecies and legends, passed down through the seasons as a part of LightClan lore. In any case, Moonlight was relying on instinct once again, and instinct was only useful if born of the Force and not of emotion. Moonlight was insistent on championing the cause of the less fortunate, of empathizing with cats he found in some peculiar, inscrutable way he alone could comprehend significant in the scheme of things.

Sunpaw studied his mentor surreptitiously. Why did he insist on pursuing these hopeless causes? The Council might find the kit possessed of more Force-Energy than normal, but they would never accept him for training as a LightClan warrior. The code was clear and established, and the reasons supporting them were proven and unassailable. Training for the Clan after more than two moons was doomed to fail. At six moons of age, Sky was simply too old.

But Moonlight would not let it go. He would brace the Council once again, and the result would be the same as it had been on so many other occasions: Moonlight would be denied and his stature as a LightClan sage would fall a little further.

Sunpaw moved to where the older tom stood staring out at the endless horizon of Twoleg dens down the hill from their camp. He stood close to him, silent for a heartbeat longer before turning to him.

“The kit will not pass the Council’s assessment, Mentor,” he mewed softly, “and you know it. He is far too old.”

Moonlight kept his gaze directed toward the sunset. “Sky will become a LightClan warrior, I promise you.”

Sunpaw sighed wearily. “Don’t defy the Council, Mentor. Not again.”

The older tom seemed to go very still, perhaps even to stop breathing, before he turned to his apprentice. “I will do what I must, Sunpaw. Would you have me be any other way?”

“Mentor, you could be sitting on the Council by now if you would just follow the code. You deserve to be sitting on the Council.” Sunpaw’s frustration surfaced in a burst of momentary anger. Tail lashing, his eyes sought the other’s and held them. “They will not go along with you this time.”

Moonlight studied him for a heartbeat, then purred. “You still have much to learn, my young apprentice.”

Sunpaw bit off his reply and looked away, thinking to himself that Moonlight was right, but that maybe this time he should consider taking his own advice.

Inside, Sky faced the LightClan council cats, standing in the same place Moonlight had stood some time earlier. He was nervous at first, brought into the chamber by Moonlight, then left alone with the twelve cats of the Council. Standing in the circle of colored stones and surrounded by the silent assemblage, awestruck and uncertain of what was expected of him, he felt vulnerable and exposed. The eyes of the LightClan cats were distant as they viewed him, but he sensed they were looking not past him, but inside.

They began to question him then, without preliminary introductions or explanations, without expending any effort at all to make him feel comfortable or welcome. He knew some of them by name, for Moonlight had described a few, and he was quick to put appearances to names. They questioned him at great length, testing memory and knowledge, seeking insights at which he could only guess. They knew of his existence as a serf-cat. They knew of his history in the Great-Sand-Place, of his mother, his brother, and his friends, of his Sand Dune Racing, of Dare, of everything truthful and past, of the order of his life.

Now Violetlight was looking at a collection of items that the kit could not see, and Sky was giving names to each item he held his paw over. Images appeared in Sky’s mind with such speed he was reminded of the strange blur of sand and stones moving past him during a Sand Dune Race.

“A mouse. A pebble. A feather.” The images flew through his mind as he named them off. “A claw. A clump of fur. A moss ball.”

The deputy lifted his paw and turned to look at the kit.

“Good, good, young kit,” the older tom called Lightstar praised. The sleepy eyes fixed on him intensely. “How feel you?”

“Cold,” Sky confessed.

“Afraid, are you?”

The kit flicked an ear. “No.”

“Afraid to give up your life?” the dark brown tom called Violetlight asked, leaning forward slightly.

“I don’t think so,” he answered, then hesitated. Something about the answer didn’t feel right.

Lightstar blinked and his ears pricked forward. “See through you, we can,” he mewed quietly.

“Be mindful of your feelings,” Violetlight meowed.

The tall tom called Palelight flicked his tail. “Your thoughts dwell on your mother and brother.”

Sky felt his stomach lurch at the mention of them. His whiskers trembled. “I miss them.”

Lightstar exchanged glances with several of the council cats. “Afraid to lose them, I think.”

Sky tilted his ears back. “What’s that got to do with anything?” he asked defensively.

Lightstar’s green eyes fixed on him. “Everything. To the dark side, fear leads. To anger and to hate. To suffering.”

“I am not afraid!” the kit snarled irritably, anxious to leave this discussion and move on.

Lightstar did not seem to hear him. “The deepest commitment, a LightClan warrior must have. The most serious mind. Much fear in you, I sense, young kit.”

Sky took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he replied, his voice and posture were calm again. “I am not afraid.”

Lightstar studied him for a heartbeat. “Then continue, we will,” he mewed softly, and the assessment continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's been brave enough to read this. I really appreciate it. Please leave a comment down below of whatever you liked so far and any questions or suggestions for whatever is yet to come in this series.


	16. Returns and Delays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the trip got cancelled for family reasons. Which means that this chapter got to go up on time! I hope everyone had a good weekend with family and friends together.

Frog That Leaps From Stone of the Tribe of Deep Waters and Forestspeaker of ForestClan stood together looking through a hole in the wall of the ForestClan leader’s nesting chamber, looking out at the Gathering Place. An odd pairing at best, the she-cat regal and composed, the tom awkward and jittery, they kept company in silence and watched the sunset color the sky a brilliant gold that left everything aglow.

They had returned from the Gathering some time ago, Frog, Sky, Forestspeaker, and the ForestClan warriors. They had come back primarily because there seemed to be nothing else they could do to change the course of events regarding the future of ForestClan. The ForestClan mediator, Foxfur, had stayed behind to argue with his fellow mediators over the selection of a new leader for the Tribe of Gathering, and Brownmoss and Jaypaw had remained with him, asked by Forestspeaker to bring her news when there was any to offer. None had been forthcoming as yet. Now Sky was gone as well, taken by Moonlight to the LightClan camp to meet with the Council, and no one had seen Berryheart in some time.

So Frog had wandered around Foxfur’s den rather like a lost kit until Forestspeaker had taken pity on him and invited him to sit with her. She had gone into seclusion on her return, dismissing her warriors and retiring to her nesting chamber.

She was clearly in pain, her ears and whiskers hanging low and her eyes so sad and distant that it made Frog want to comfort her. If it had been Sky or Berryheart, he might have reached over and touched her shoulder with his tail-tip, but he was not about to try that with the ForestClan leader. Tallear and Silverfoot, forever watchful, sat outside the nesting chamber near the door, and he was certain the other ForestClan warriors were somewhere close as well. He was careless of many things, oblivious to others, and in general given over to enjoying life in a kit-like way, but he was no mouse-brain.

Finally, though, he could ignore the situation no longer. He shuffled his paws and cleared his throat, drawing the she-cat’s attention. She turned, her dust-covered face hiding every trace of her true scent and pelt color.

“Me wonder sometimes why the Ancestors allow pain,” he offered sympathetically.

The cool gaze of Forestspeaker’s warm brown eyes was steady and clear. “To motivate us, I imagine.”

“You think you Clanmates going to die?” he asked, working his tongue around the bitter words as if he could taste them.

The she-cat considered the question and moved her tail slowly. “I don’t know, Frog.”

“Tribe of Deep Waters going to get shredded, too, yes?”

“I hope not.”

Frog straightened, tail rising, and a fierce pride brightened his eyes. “Tribe cats no die without a fight. We warriors! We gotta grand army!”

“An army?” she repeated, a hint of surprise in her soft voice.

“A grand army! Lotta Tribe cats. That why no swamp cat-eaters give us trouble. Too many Tribe cats. Got smart traps, too. Nothing get past. Tribe cats no ever give up to field-cats or any other cat!”

He paused, ducking his head uncomfortably. “That why forest-cats no like us, maybe.”

She was studying him closely now, her detached gaze replaced by something more intense, as if she were turning an unexpected thought over in her mind. She was preparing to utter that thought, he believed, when Foxfur, Brownmoss, and Jaypaw rushed through the entrance.

“Forestspeaker,” Brownmoss greeted, barely able to contain his excitement as all three toms dipped their heads quickly and straightened. “Foxfur has been nominated to succeed Lionstar as leader of the Tribe of Gathering!”

Foxfur’s purr was contained and deferential, and his voice carefully tempered as he addressed her. “A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. I promise, Forestspeaker, if I am selected, I will restore freedom to the Tribe of Gathering. I will put an end to the fox-heartedness that has claimed the mediators. FieldClan will lose its influence, and our Clanmates will be freed from the tyranny of this code-breaking and mouse-brained invasion –”

“Who else has been nominated?” Forestspeaker asked abruptly, cutting him short.

“Bearfrost of MountainClan and Longeye of CanyonClan,” Brownmoss told her, avoiding Foxfur’s eyes.

The mediator was quick to recover from the unexpected interruption. “Forestspeaker, I feel confident that our situation will generate strong support for us when the Casting of Stones takes place next sunrise.” He paused meaningfully. “I will be leader of the Tribe of Gathering, I promise you.”

The she-cat did not look impressed. She moved past Frog to the hole and stared out at the stone dens as they glowed with the fading of the sunset. “I fear by the time you have claimed the leadership, Foxfur, there will be nothing left of our Clan or our way of life to re-claim.”

Foxfur blinked, taken aback. “I understand your concern, Forestspeaker. Unfortunately, FieldClan has seized control of our territory. Hedgehogs will fly before we can dislodge them so quickly.”

“Perhaps.” Forestspeaker turned to face him. Her tail lashed with anger and her normally warm eyes were bright with determination. “With the Tribe of Gathering in transition, there is nothing more I can do here.” She walked to where he stood with Brownmoss and Jaypaw. “Foxfur, this is your hunting ground. I must return to mine. I have decided to go back. My place is with my Clanmates.”

“Go back!” Foxfur was aghast, his blue eyes wide with distress. Jaypaw looked quickly from one face to the other, then to his mentor’s, then back again. “But, Forestspeaker, that’s bee-brained! You will be in great danger! They will force you to agree to their demands!”

The ForestClan leader was calm and composed. “I will make no agreement. My fate will be no different from that of my Clanmates.” She turned to Brownmoss. “Tell the others.”

Brownmoss dipped his head as Foxfur moved to intercept her. “Please, Forestspeaker. Stay here, where it is safe.”

The she-cat’s voice was sharp and unmoving. “No place is safe, if the other Clans don’t condemn this invasion. It is clear to me now that the Tribe of Gathering no longer follows its own code.” Her eyes locked on his. “If you are selected, Foxfur, I know you will do everything possible to stop FieldClan. I hope you will find a way to restore clarity and compassion to the Tribe.”

She moved past him in a smooth, gliding motion and was out of the chamber, her warriors following at her tail. Frog followed, slinking after as unobtrusively as he could manage, glancing just once at Foxfur in passing.

He was surprised to catch the barest hint of a purr from the ForestClan mediator.

In the highest chamber of the LightClan camp, Moonlight, Sunpaw, and Sky stood before the Council. Clustered together at the center of the colored stones, they faced the circle of cats, and awaited their decision on the kit. Outside, the light was pale and wan as twilight replaced sunset, and night began its slow descent across the valley.

“Finished, we are, with our assessment of the kit,” Lightstar advised in his guttural, wispy voice. His eyes were half-closed, his ears pricked forward. “Correct, you were, Moonlight.”

Frostlight dipped his head in agreement, his eyes expressionless in the dim light. “He has a _very_ large amount of Force-Energy.”

“The Force is strong in him,” Tinlight agreed.

Moonlight felt a rush of satisfaction on hearing their report, a vindication of his insistence on freeing the kit from his old life and bringing him here. “He is to be trained, then,” he declared in triumph.

There was an uncomfortable silence as the cats of the Council looked from one to the other.

“No,” Violetlight mewed quietly. “He will not be trained.”

Sky’s ears fell, and his whiskers were trembling as he glanced quickly at Moonlight.

“No?” the LightClan sage repeated in disbelief, shocked almost silent. He tried hard to ignore the I-told-you-so look on Sunpaw’s face.

Violetlight dipped his head, hazel eyes steady. “He is too old. There is already too much anger in him.”

Moonlight was infuriated, but he held himself in check. This decision made no sense. It could not be allowed to stand. “He _is_ the chosen one,” he insisted vehemently. “You must see it!”

Lightstar tilted his head and tapped his tail contemplatively. “Clouded, this kit’s future is. Masked by his young age.”

Moonlight searched the faces of the other council cats, but found no help. He lifted his tail and dipped his head in acceptance of their decision. “Very well. I will train him then. I take Sky as my apprentice.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sunpaw stiffen in shock. He saw, as well, the sudden flicker of hope that crossed Sky’s face. He did not respond to either, keeping his gaze directed toward the Council.

“An apprentice, you already have, Moonlight,” Lightstar pointed out sharply. “Impossible, to take on a second.”

“We forbid it,” Violetlight advised darkly.

“Sunpaw is ready,” Moonlight declared.

“I am!” his apprentice agreed heatedly, trying unsuccessfully to hide his surprise and disappointment in his mentor’s unexpected decision. “I am ready to face the trials!”

Lightstar’s green eyes shifted. “Ready so early, are you? What know you of ready?”

Moonlight and Sunpaw exchanged quick, hard looks, and the measure of their newfound antagonism was palpable. The breach in their relationship was widening so quickly it could no longer be measured.

Moonlight took a deep breath and turned back to the Council. “Sunpaw is reckless, and he has much to learn still about the Living Force, but he is capable. There is little more he will learn from me.”

Lightstar flicked his tail. “Our own counsel we will keep on who is ready, Moonlight. More to learn, he has.”

“Now is not the time for this,” Violetlight meowed with finality. “The Tribe of Gathering will cast stones next sunrise for a new leader. Forestspeaker returns home, we are advised, which will put pressure on FieldClan and could widen the confrontation. Those responsible will be quick to act on these new events.”

“Drawn out of hiding, her attackers will be,” Yaklight hissed.

“Events are moving too fast for distractions such as this,” Corallight added.

Violetlight took a quick look about at the other cats on the Council, then turned once more to Moonlight. “Go with Forestspeaker to ForestClan’s territory and discover the identity of this rogue cat who attacked you, be it DarkClan or otherwise. That is the clue we need to unravel this mystery.”

Lightstar dipped his head slowly, accepting no argument. “Decided later, young Sky’s fate will be.”

Moonlight took a deep breath, filled with frustration and disappointment at the unexpected turn of events. Sky would not be trained, even though he had offered to take the kit as his apprentice. Worse, he had offended Sunpaw, not intentionally perhaps, but deeply nevertheless. The rift was not permanent, but it would take time for the younger tom’s pride to heal – time they did not have.

He dipped his head in acquiescence to the Council. “I brought Sky here; he must stay in my care. He has nowhere else to go.”

Violetlight dipped his head. “He is your ward, Moonlight. We do not dispute that.”

“But train him not!” Lightstar admonished sharply. “Take him with you, but train him not!”

The order stung, the force behind it unmistakable. Moonlight flinched inwardly, but didn’t reply.

“Protect Forestspeaker,” Violetlight added. “But do not intercede if it comes to battle until we have the Tribe of Gathering’s approval.”

There was a long silence as the cats of the Council regarded Moonlight gravely. He stood there, trying to think of something more to add, some other argument to offer. Outside, the last of the twilight began to fade further, and the stars began to appear in the darkening sky.

“May the Force be with you,” Lightstar mewed finally, signaling to the sage that the meeting was over.

The LightClan cats and the kit, having been made aware of Forestspeaker’s imminent departure for her Clan’s territory, went directly to the edge of the Gathering Place where the ForestClan cats were waiting. The journey there was marked by a strained silence between the LightClan cats and a discomfort in the kit he could not dispel. He looked down at his paws most of the time, wishing he could think of a way to stop Moonlight and Sunpaw from being angry at each other.

When they approached, Bluepaw was already bounding over to him. He greeted Sky cheerfully, conversing and asking questions to pull his friend out of his dark mood. The kit started purring in spite of himself as he replied as best he could.

To one side, about a fox-length away from the group, Moonlight and Sunpaw were engaged in a heated discussion. Wind flew past them wildly, hiding their argument from the younger toms. Carefully, the pair edged closer so they could listen in.

“It is not disrespect, Mentor!” Sunpaw was meowing vehemently. “It is the truth!”

“From your point of view, perhaps.” Moonlight’s ears were flattened with anger.

The younger tom’s voice dropped a notch. “The kit is dangerous. They all sense it. Why can’t you?”

“His fate is uncertain, but he is not dangerous,” Moonlight corrected sharply. “The Council will decide Sky’s future. That should be enough for you.” He turned away dismissively.

Sunpaw whirled away and stalked over to where the ForestClan cats were gathered. Bluepaw followed as his own mentor called to him, glancing apologetically at his friend as he hurried away. Moonlight turned to Sky, and the kit walked up to him.

“Moonlight,” he mewed uncomfortably, wracked with doubt and guilt over what was happening, “I don’t want to be a problem.”

Moonlight rested his tail reassuringly on his shoulder. “You won’t be, Sky.” He glanced toward the group, then lowered his face to the kit’s height. “I’m not allowed to train you, so I want you to watch me instead and be mindful of what you see. Always remember, your focus determines your reality.” He paused, eyes locked on Sky. “Stay close to me, and you will be safe.”

The kit dipped his head in understanding. “Can I ask you something?” The LightClan sage dipped his head. “What is Force-Energy?”

Wind ruffled Moonlight’s fur. “Force-Energy is the essence that resides within all living things and communicates with the Force.”

“It lives inside of me?” the kit asked.

“Yes, inside of you.” Moonlight paused. “Without Force-Energy, life could not exist, and we would have no knowledge of the Force. Our Force-Energy continually speaks to us, Sky, telling us the will of the Force.”

“It does?”

Moonlight tilted his head. “When you learn to quiet your mind, you will hear it speaking to you.”

Sky thought about it a moment, then flicked his tail. “I don’t understand.”

Moonlight purred, and his eyes were warm and secretive. “With time and training, Sky, you will.”

Together they moved to join the group of ForestClan cats. Frog stood at the edge of the group, conversing happily with Robinpaw as Sunpaw sulkily looked on. Forestspeaker was sitting in the middle of the group, surrounded by her warriors. She rose and stood waiting as Moonlight and Sky approached her.

“Forestspeaker,” Moonlight greeted with a deferential dip of his head. “It will be our pleasure to continue to serve and protect you.”

Forestspeaker dipped her head. “I welcome your help. Foxfur fears that FieldClan means to destroy me.”

“I promise you, we will not let that happen,” the LightClan sage advised solemnly.

The ForestClan leader turned and followed Brownmoss as he began to lead them out of the Gathering Place.

Frog hurried over and bounced around Sky, not bothering to hide his joy. “We going home, Sky!” he meowed loudly, and Sky purred back.

Moments later, they were disappearing swiftly over a hilltop, leaving the Gathering Place behind.

The moon glowed coldly over the former FieldClan camp, which lay empty and silent save for the occasional passing of FieldClan patrols and the flutter of the wind. Deep in the medicine cat den, Newtstar and Hawkfur sat attentively before the Clan’s Moonstone. The shadowy image of Darkshadow filled the space at one end of the chamber, rising up before them menacingly.

The dark figure gestured with his tail. “Forestspeaker is on her way to you,” the DarkClan cat intoned softly. “When she arrives, force her to make the agreement.”

There was a heartbeat of silence as the FieldClan cats exchanged worried looks. “Yes, Darkshadow,” Newtstar agreed reluctantly.

“Newtstar, is the territory secure?” The shadowy image shimmered with movement.

“Yes, Darkshadow.” Newtstar was on firmer ground here. “We have taken the last pockets of resistance, consisting of mostly less intelligent cats. Barely cats at all, really. We are now in complete control.”

The faceless tom dipped his head. “Good. I will see to it that in the Tribe of Gathering things stay as they are. I am sending Darkmaul to join you. He will deal with the LightClan cats.”

“Yes, Darkshadow.” The statement was a litany.

The image of Darkshadow faded away. The FieldClan toms stood where they were, frozen in place.

“A DarkClan cat, here with us?” Hawkfur hissed in disbelief, and this time Newtstar had no reply at all.


	17. Battle Plans and Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end... If you've been following this tale so far to this point, thank you so very much. Don't forget to comment any questions or suggestions you might have for this episode or any of the episodes yet to come.

Sunrise after sunrise passed as the travelling cats raced towards ForestClan territory. The route they took was shorter and more direct than their earlier path. A little over a half-moon after leaving the Gathering Place, the group took shelter in a small cave as rain began to fall. As he made his way to the back of the cave to meet with Forestspeaker, Moonlight paused to study Sky.

The kit stood next to Owlwing and Bluepaw. The ForestClan apprentice, under his mentor’s supervision, was demonstrating a hunting technique useful for tracking prey in the rain. Sky was absorbing the information with astonishing quickness, ears tilted, eyes intense, concentration total.

“And your tail?” the kit asked.

“Still but loose, and not touching the ground.” Bluepaw glanced at him expectantly, waiting.

“And your whiskers figure out which spots are best to place your paws when you move?” Sky looked up at Owlwing for confirmation.

The warrior purred loudly. “You catch on pretty quick.”

 _As quick as any cat he had ever encountered,_ Moonlight thought. That was the reason Sky was so special. It gave evidence of his high amount of Force-Energy. It suggested anew that he was the chosen one.

The LightClan sage sighed. Why would the Council not accept that this was so? Why were they so afraid of taking a chance on the kit, when the signs were so clear?

Moonlight found himself frustrated all over again. He understood their thinking. It was bad that Sky was so old, but not fatal to his chances. What troubled them was not his age, but the conflict they sensed within him. Sky was wrestling with his parentage, with his separation from his mother, his brother, his friends, and his home. Especially his mother and brother. He was old enough to appreciate what might happen, and the result was an uncertainty that worked within him like a cornered rat seeking to break loose. The LightClan Council knew that it could not control that uncertainty from without, that it could be mastered only from within. They believed Sky too old for this, his thinking and his beliefs too settled to be safely reshaped. He was vulnerable to his inner conflict, and the dark side would be quick to take advantage of this.

Moonlight shook out his fur, and stared over at the kit for a heartbeat more. Yes, there were risks in accepting him as an apprentice. But prey was never caught by staying in camp. LightClan was founded on strict adherence to established procedures in the raising and educating of young LightClan cats, but there were exceptions to all things, even this. That the Council was refusing even to consider that this was an instance in which an exception should be made was intolerable.

Still, he must keep faith, he knew. He must believe. The decision not to train Sky would be reconsidered on their return and reversed. If the Council did not embrace the kit’s training voluntarily, then it would be up to Moonlight to find a way to make it do so.

He turned away then and padded over to the small gathering at the back of the cave. The other cats Forestspeaker had called together for this meeting were already present when he arrived. Sunpaw gave him a brief, neutral head-dip of recognition, sitting next to an alert Jaypaw and a glowering Brownmoss. Frog pressed himself into the wall to one side, apparently trying to disappear into it. Forestspeaker sat in the far corner, Tallear, Silverfoot, and Berryheart flanking her. Her brown eyes were cool and composed as they met his own, but there was fire in her voice as she addressed them.

“When we arrive,” she advised the LightClan sage after he had settled himself next to Brownmoss, “it is my intention to act on this invasion at once. My Clan has suffered enough.”

Brownmoss could barely contain himself, his tail lashing with anger. “When we _arrive_ , Forestspeaker, FieldClan will capture you and force you to agree to their terms!”

Moonlight twitched an ear thoughtfully, curious as to the she-cat’s thinking. “I agree. I’m not sure what you hope to accomplish by this.”

Forestspeaker might have been made of stone. “ForestClan is going to take back what is ours.”

“There are only fifteen of us!” Brownmoss hissed, unable to keep silent. “Nineteen if the non-ForestClan cats are included,” he added belatedly. “We are outnumbered!”

Her gaze shifted to Moonlight. “LightClan cannot fight a war for you, Forestspeaker,” he advised. “We can only protect you.”

She let her gaze drift around the cats in attendance, Moonlight noticing when her gaze lingered for a heartbeat longer on Berryheart than with any of the others, and noticed the subtle blink and slight head-dip from Berryheart. Then the ForestClan leader’s eyes came to rest on Frog. The Tribe-cat was studying his paws. “Frog That Leaps From Stone!” she meowed.

Frog, clearly caught off guard, stiffened. His large eyes were stretched wide as he looked at the she-cat. “Me, Forestspeaker?”

“Yes,” the ForestClan leader affirmed. “I have need of your help.”

Deep in the swamp on the outskirts of ForestClan’s territory, at the edge of the lake that surrounded the Tribe of Deep Waters camp, the group of travelers was huddled near the water’s edge, waiting for the return of Frog. Forestspeaker and her warriors, the LightClan cats, and Sky clustered uneasily in the misty silence. It was safe to say that even now no cat but the ForestClan leader knew exactly what it was she was attempting to do. All she had been willing to reveal to those in a position to inquire was that she wished to make contact with the Tribe of Deep Waters and Frog would be her emissary. She had insisted on detouring into the swamp, even after both Brownmoss and Moonlight had advised against it.

The only FieldClan cats outside the ForestClan border were lingering in the makeshift FieldClan camp. A large number of warriors, led by their medicine cat, remained there to protect the FieldClan Starstone. When Robinpaw wondered aloud at the absence of patrols, Jaypaw pointed out rather dryly that you didn’t need any patrols once you control the only other territory in the area.

Sky, sitting with Bluepaw apart from the others, studied the group surreptitiously. Frog had been gone a long time, and every cat but Forestspeaker was growing restless. She sat on a tree root, silent and implacable in the midst of her three chosen guardians. Berryheart, Tallear, and Silverfoot were nearby, standing tall and looking every bit the warriors they were trained as. The kit had never seen Berryheart like this, and he found himself wondering how good a fighter she was.

As if realizing he was thinking of her, Berryheart broke away from the others and came over to him. Sky glanced over at Bluepaw only to see his friend hurrying over to his beckoning mentor.

“How are you, Sky?” the she-cat asked quietly, her kind, warm brown eyes locking on his.

He ran a paw over his ear. “Okay. I’ve missed you.”

“It is good to see you again. I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to talk with you before, but I’ve been very busy.”

They hadn’t interacted with each other very much since leaving the Great-Sand-Place, and Sky hadn’t even seen Berryheart during their stay at the Gathering Place, nor been able to approach her since their departure from there. It had bothered him, but he’d kept it to himself.

“I didn’t – I –” he stuttered, looking down at his paws. “They decided not to accept me into LightClan.”

He recounted the story for her, detailing the events surrounding his appearance before the Council. Berryheart listened intently, then touched his shoulder with her soft white tail. “They can change their minds, Sky. Don’t give up hope.”

She lowered her head close to his then. “I have something to tell you. Forestspeaker has made a painful, difficult decision – a decision that will change everything for ForestClan. We are a peaceful Clan, and we do not believe in battling. But sometimes there is no choice. Either you adapt or you die. Forestspeaker understands this. She has decided to take an aggressive approach with FieldClan. The cats of ForestClan are going to fight to regain their freedom.”

“Will there be a battle?” he asked quickly, trying unsuccessfully to hide his excitement.

She dipped her head. “I’m afraid so.”

“Will you be involved?” he pressed.

Her ears lowered sadly. “Sky, I don’t have a choice.”

Moonlight and Sunpaw stood together a couple of fox-lengths away. The LightClan toms still weren’t acknowledging each other, or only barely so. Any conversation from either on the journey out from the Gathering Place had been reserved almost exclusively for others. The hard feelings caused by Moonlight’s bid to train Sky did not soften. The kit had tried to approach Sunpaw once the first time they’d stopped to rest, just to tell him he was sorry this had happened, but the LightClan apprentice had brushed him off.

Now, though, Sunpaw was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the situation. He had been close with Moonlight for too long to let a momentary disagreement put an end to so many moons of friendship. Moonlight was like a father to him, the only father he knew. He was angry that the older tom would dismiss him so abruptly in favor of the kit, but he realized, too, the depth of Moonlight’s passion when he believed in something. Training this kit as a LightClan warrior was a cause Moonlight championed as he had championed no other in Sunpaw’s memory. He did not do so to slight his apprentice. He did so because he believed in the kit’s destiny.

Sunpaw understood. Who but StarClan and the Force itself could know? Perhaps this time Moonlight was right. Perhaps Sky’s training was a cause worth fighting.

“I’ve been thinking,” Moonlight announced suddenly, keeping his voice low, his eyes directed toward the others. “We are hunting near a bee’s nest. If Forestspeaker intends to fight a war, we cannot become involved. Not even in her efforts to persuade the Tribe of Deep Waters to join with ForestClan against FieldClan, if that is what she intends by coming here. LightClan has no authority to take sides.”

“But we do have authority to protect Forestspeaker,” Sunpaw pointed out.

Moonlight’s blue eyes shifted to find his. “We cross swift-water on a brittle branch, then.”

“Mentor,” Sunpaw mewed, facing him now. “I behaved like mousefodder at the Gathering Place, and I am embarrassed. I meant no disrespect to you. I do not wish to be difficult in the matter of the kit.”

“Nor have you been,” the older tom replied, purring faintly. “You have been honest with me. Honesty is never wrong. I did not lie when I told the Council you were ready. You are. I have taught you all I can. You will be a great warrior of LightClan, my young apprentice. You will make me proud.”

And as quickly as that the breach that had opened between them was closed.

Heartbeats later, a dark shape cut through the water, and Frog climbed from the lake, shaking water from his pelt onto the assembled. Long whiskers dripping, he twitched an ear worriedly.

“There no cats there! They all gone!” His large eyes darted this way and that. “Some kind of fight, they have. Field-cats, maybe. Very bad. Whole camp empty. All Tribe-cats gone. All gone.”

“Do you think they’ve been taken captive?” a she-cat named Bronzefur asked quickly, glancing around at the group.

“More likely they were wiped out,” Robinpaw’s mentor, Redstripe, offered in disgust.

But Frog flicked his tail. “Me no think so. Tribe of Deep Waters too smart. Go into hiding. When they in trouble, go to sacred place. Field-cats no find them there.”

Moonlight stepped forward. “Sacred place?” he repeated. “Can you take us there?”

The Tribe cat lowered his ears and tail with a sigh, as if to say “Here we go again,” and beckoned for them to follow.

They traversed the swamp for some time, first dodging the lake, then plunging into a forest of massive trees and tall grasses, following a small stream that flowed through a group of knolls. Frog glanced about apprehensively as he picked his way through the mire, but did not slow.

Finally, they emerged in a clearing of marshy grasses and stands of trees with roots tangled so thickly they formed what appeared to be an impassable boundary. Frog stopped, sniffed the air speculatively, and lifted his tail. “This it.”

He lifted his head and made a strange chittering noise, the sound echoing eerily in the silence. The group waited, eyes searching the misty gloom.

Suddenly Tar emerged from the haze leading a large patrol of Tribe warriors.

“Heyday ho, Tar,” Frog greeted cheerfully.

“Frog!” the other meowed in disbelief. “Not again!”

Frog flicked his tail nonchalantly. “We come to see Mud Where Toads Gather!”

Tar lowered one of his ears. “Ouch time, Frog. Ouch time for all you, maybe.”

Herding them together, Tribe cats providing a perimeter escort on all sides, Tar led them deeper into the swamp. The canopy formed by the limbs of the trees became so thick that the sky and the sun almost disappeared. Bits and pieces of oddly-shaped stones began to surface, crumbling stone piles sinking in the mire. Vines snaked their way across the broken stones, dropping down from limbs that twisted and wound together.

Pushing through a high stand of sawgrass, they arrived in a clearing filled with Tribe cats – warriors, queens, and kits of all ages and descriptions, huddled together on a broad, dry rise. Tar led the group past the crowd to where the ruins of what had once been a large, stone Twoleg-den were being slowly reclaimed by the swamp. The large, flat stones stacked in front of it were all that remained intact, the walls having long ago collapsed and broken apart.

At the far end of the ruins, Mud appeared, lumbering out of the shadows with several more of the Tribe’s elders to stand atop a tall boulder partially submerged in the water. Forestspeaker and her following approached to within hailing distance.

“Frog That Leaps From Stone, what you doing back?” Mud growled angrily. “You supposed to take these outsiders and no come back! You pay good this time!” The large head turned. “Who you bring here to the Tribe of Deep Waters sacred place?”

Forestspeaker stepped forward at once, clay-covered face and tail lifting. “I am Forestspeaker, leader of ForestClan.”

“Forest-cats!” Mud thundered. “No like forest-cats! You bring the field-cats! They shred our dens! They force us all out!” The heavy tail lashed. “You all snake-hearts! You all die, maybe!”

Sky noticed suddenly that they were completely surrounded by Tribe cats, some on tree roots, some on rocks, all with claws and teeth bared. The ForestClan cats were looking around nervously, claws slowly extending. The LightClan cats flanked Forestspeaker, but they retained a relaxed posture.

“We wish to form an alliance with you,” Forestspeaker tried again.

“We no form nothing with forest-cats!” Mud yowled angrily.

Abruptly Berryheart moved away from the others and stepped in front of Forestspeaker. “You did well, Brightbreeze. But I will have to do this myself,” she mewed quietly, and turned to face Mud.

“Who this?” the Tribe leader hissed.

Standing next to Sky, Bluepaw and Robinpaw caught a breath in recognition. The apprentices had figured it out first.

Berryheart straightened. “I am Forestspeaker,” she announced in a loud, clear voice. “Brightbreeze serves from time to time as my decoy, my loyal warrior. I am sorry for my deception, but given the circumstances, I am sure you can understand.” She turned to the LightClan cats, her warm brown eyes shifting momentarily to find Sky. “Friends, I apologize for misleading you.”

Her eyes returned quickly to Mud, whose ears were tilted back suspiciously, clearly not understanding any of what was happening. “Although ForestClan and the Tribe of Deep Waters do not always agree,” she continued, her voice softening, “we have always lived in peace. Until now. FieldClan, with its warriors and a large following of rogues, has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. The Tribe of Deep Waters is in hiding, and ForestClan is held captive in its own territory. If we do not act quickly, all that we value will be lost forever.”

She lifted a slender paw. “I ask you to help us, Mud Where Toads Gather.” She paused. “No, I beg you to help us.”

She dropped abruptly to her belly in front of the astonished Tribe leader. There were audible sounds of surprise from the ForestClan cats. “Our fate is in your paws,” Forestspeaker meowed so that all could hear. “Please help us.”

She motioned with her tail, and one by one, Brightbreeze, Brownmoss, Tallear, and the other ForestClan cats dropped down beside her. Sky and the LightClan cats were the last to join them. Out of the corner of his eye, Sky saw Frog standing alone in their midst, staring around in wonderment and shock.

For a couple of heartbeats, nothing was uttered. Then a slow, deep mrrow of laughter rose out of the throat of Mud. “Oh, oh, oh! Me like this! This good! You no think you greater than Tribe of Deep Waters!”

The Tribe leader came forward and extended a heavy paw. “You stand, Forestspeaker. You talk with me, okay? Maybe we going to be friends after all!”

The senior DarkClan warrior appeared in a shimmer of shadows as his apprentice and the FieldClan leader and deputy stood quietly before the FieldClan Starstone.

“We have sent out patrols,” Newtstar meowed, concluding his report to the ominous figure projected by the Starstone. “We have already tracked their scent to the border of the swamp. It won’t be long until we have them in paw, Darkshadow.”

Darkshadow was silent. For a heartbeat Newtstar was afraid he hadn’t been heard. “This is an unexpected move for Forestspeaker,” the DarkClan cat mewed at last, his voice so low it could barely be heard. “It is too aggressive. Darkmaul, be mindful.”

“Yes, Master,” the other tom growled softly, yellow eyes gleaming.

“Be patient,” Darkshadow purred, shadows moving slightly as his tail curled around his paws. “Let them make the first move.”

In silence, Darkmaul and the FieldClan cats looked on as the shadowy image slowly faded away.

Mud Where Toads Gather was as unpredictable as he was large, and his change of attitude toward the ForestClan cats was dramatic. Once he decided that Forestspeaker did not consider herself his superior, that she was in fact quite sincere in her plea for the Tribe’s help, he was quick to come around. The fact that his dislike of FieldClan was every bit as strong as hers didn’t hurt matters, of course. Perhaps he had been hasty in his belief that the “field-cats” wouldn’t find the Tribe of Deep Waters in the swamps. The camp had been attacked at dawn two sunrises earlier and the Tribe cats driven from their home. Mud was not about to sit still for that. If a plan could be put together to drive the invaders out, the Tribe of Deep Waters would do its part to help.

He took Forestspeaker and her companions out of the swamp to the edge of the grass plains that ran toward the main ForestClan camp. Any attack would be mounted from here, and the ForestClan leader had come to the Tribe of Deep Waters with a very specific plan of attack in mind.

The first step in that plan involved sending Brownmoss and Jaypaw to scout out the camp.

As they stood looking out from the misty confines of the swamp toward the open grasslands, waiting for the two cats’ return, Mud padded up to Frog.

“You doing grand, Frog That Leaps From Stone!” he rumbled. “You bring forest-cats and Tribe of Deep Waters together! This very brave thing.”

Frog shuffled his paws and looked embarrassed. “Ah, you no go saying that. Is nothing.”

“No, you grand brave cat!” Mud declared, dropping his heavy tail over the smaller Tribe-cat’s back.

“No, no, no,” the other persisted bashfully.

“So,” Mud concluded brightly, “we make you warrior in Tribe of Deep Waters again!”

“What?” Frog meowed in dismay. “Warrior? Me? No, no, no!” he gasped, and he slumped to the ground and fainted dead away.

Forestspeaker was in discussion with the LightClan cats and the Tribe’s senior warriors, so Sky, at loose ends, had wandered over to keep company with the Tribe cats who were keeping lookout for Brownmoss and Jaypaw. More Tribe cats patrolled along the edge of the swamp, making certain FieldClan patrols didn’t come up on them unexpectedly. Sky stood at the base of a tall pile of stone, still trying to come to terms with the revelation that Berryheart was Forestspeaker. Every cat had been surprised, save for the fully trained ForestClan warriors of course, but no cat had been more surprised than he. He wasn’t sure how he felt about her now, knowing she wasn’t just a Clan warrior, but a Clan leader. He had declared they would be mates someday, believing it so, but how could a cat who been a serf cat all his life be the mate of a Clan leader? He wanted to approach her, but there wasn’t any opportunity for that here.

He supposed things wouldn’t be the same after this, but he wished they could. He liked her as much now as he had before, and to tell the truth he didn’t give a mousetail if she was a leader or not.

He glanced over at the she-cat and the LightClan warriors and thought how different things were here than they had been at Great-Sand-Place. Nothing had worked out the way he had hoped for any of them, and it remained to be seen if leaving his mother, brother, and home to come with them was a good idea after all.

The Tribe cat standing watch atop a stone perch above him let out a yowl. “They coming!” he called down, peering out into the grasslands.

Sky gave a yowl in response and raced over to Forestspeaker, the LightClan cats, and the senior Tribe warriors. “They’re back!” he yowled.

Every cat turned to watch the approach of a large group race through the grass and come to a stop in the concealing shadow of the swamp. Brownmoss and Jaypaw were accompanied by several dozen ForestClan warriors. Brownmoss made his way directly to his leader.

“I think we got through without being detected, Forestspeaker,” he advised quickly, shaking the dust from his pelt.

“What is the situation?” she asked as the others crowded close to them.

Brownmoss flicked his tail. “Most of ForestClan is being held captive in the FieldClan camp. A few warriors managed to avoid capture and formed a hidden resistance against the invasion. We’ve brought back as many as we could find.”

“Good.” Forestspeaker dipped her head appreciatively toward Mud. “The Tribe of Deep Waters has far more warriors than we imagined.”

“Very, very fierce!” the Tribe leader rumbled.

Brownmoss let out a weary breath. “You’ll need it. FieldClan is much larger than we thought, too.”

“And stronger,” Jaypaw added.

Brownmoss gave Forestspeaker a considering look. “In my opinion, this isn’t a battle we can win.”

Standing at the edge of the group, Frog looked down at Sky and lowered his ears despairingly.

But Forestspeaker was undeterred. “I don’t intend to win it, Brownmoss. The battle is a diversion. We need the Tribe of Deep Waters to draw FieldClan’s army away, so we can infiltrate the main camp and capture Newtstar. FieldClan cannot function without him. Those cats don’t think for themselves. Without their leader to direct them, they will cease to be a threat.”

She waited for them to consider her plan, eyes fixing automatically on Moonlight. “What do you think, Moonlight?” she asked.

“It is a well-conceived plan,” the LightClan sage acknowledged. “It appears to be your best possible move, Forestspeaker, although there is a great risk. Even with the main army engaged, Newtstar will be well guarded. And many of the Tribe cats may be killed.”

Mud flicked an ear derisively. “They not as fierce as us! We ready to fight!”

Frog threw another worried look at Sky.

Forestspeaker had thought of that. “We could reduce the number of Tribe cat casualties by sending a patrol to free the captured ForestClan cats from the FieldClan camp. Once they’ve joined the battle, our combined forces will be much larger than theirs. Without the advantage of numbers, the rogues will likely flee and FieldClan won’t be able to hold their ground at all. They’ll be easily defeated.”

Mews of agreement filled the air. “But if Newtstar should escape,” Sunpaw pointed out darkly, “he will return with even more cats, and you’ll be no better off than you are now. Whatever else happens, you must capture him.”

“Indeed, we must,” Forestspeaker agreed. “Everything depends on it. Without their leader, FieldClan collapses.”

They moved on to other matters then, beginning a detailed discussion of battle tactics and command responsibilities. Sky stood listening for a heartbeat, then eased his way close to Moonlight and poked his shoulder with his paw.

“What about me?” he asked quietly.”

The LightClan sage lowered his head to Sky’s level and purred. “You stay close to me, Sky, do as I say, and you’ll be safe.”

Keeping safe wasn’t quite what the kit had in mind, but he let the matter drop, satisfied that as long as he was close to Moonlight, he wouldn’t be far from the action.

In the FieldClan camp, the shadowy image of Darkshadow loomed before Darkmaul, Newtstar, and Hawkfur. Smooth and silky, his voice oozed through the darkness.

“Our young leader surprises me,” he hissed thoughtfully, hidden by the shadows. “She is more mouse-brained than I thought.”

“We are gathering all available cats at the main ForestClan camp to meet this army of hers,” Newtstar offered quickly. “It appears to be assembling at the edge of the swamp. Swamp cats, Darkshadow – nothing better. We do not expect much resistance.”

“I am increasing patrols around this camp to keep the ForestClan cats under control,” Hawkfur meowed.

Darkmaul lashed his tail, then shook out his fur. “I feel there is more to this than we know, my Master. The two ForestClan cats may be using Forestspeaker for their own purposes.”

“The LightClan cats cannot become involved,” Darkshadow soothed. “They can only protect Forestspeaker. Even Moonlight cannot break that covenant. This will work to our advantage.”

Darkmaul snarled, anxious to get on with it.

“I have your approval to proceed, then, Darkshadow?” Newtstar asked hesitantly, avoiding the younger DarkClan tom’s mad eyes.

“Proceed,” Darkshadow ordered softly. “Wipe them out, Newtstar. All of them.”


	18. Armies and Stealth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly late because my work schedule and my sleeping arrangements changed. I'll be trying to write the rest well ahead of time (And possibly getting started on the next episode earlier than anticipated)

By sunhigh, with the sun overhead in a cloudless sky and the wind died away to nothing, the grasslands between the swamp and the main ForestClan camp lay empty and still. Heat rose off the grasslands in a soft shimmer, and it was so quiet that from many tree-lengths away the sounds of birds and insects could be heard as if they were settled close by.

Then the warriors of FieldClan stalked into the rolling meadows, weaving through the tall grasses in a single, massive wave.

It was quiet in the swamp as well, the perpetual twilight hushed and expectant beneath the vast trees and vine-covered branches, the surface of the mire smooth and unbroken, the reeds and rushes motionless in the windless air. Here and there a water bug jumped soundlessly from place to place, stirring puddles to life in the wake of its passing. Birds swooped and banked in bright flashes of color, darting from limb to limb. Small prey crept from cover to drink and feed, eyes bright, noses twitching, senses alert.

Then the warriors of the Tribe of Deep Waters emerged from the murky waters in a stream of ripples, first one, then another, then many more that covered the ground.

Both on the plain and in the swamp, the prey raced back into hiding, the birds took wing, and the insects went to ground.

The Tribe cats padded from their concealment with water still dripping from their pelts, making them gleam slightly. Numbers swelling as they reached the edge of the swamp, the Tribe cats began to form up in ranks of warriors that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Frog moved within the second rank of warriors, wondering what it was he was supposed to do. Mostly, he believed, he was supposed to stay out of the way. Certainly the other warriors had made it clear that this is what they preferred. Mud might think it clever to make him a full warrior in the Tribe’s army, but the older warriors found it less amusing. Tar had hissed sourly at Frog, on being informed of his new position, and told him to set a good example for his Tribe and die well.

Frog had responded to all this by keeping low until the march out of the swamp began, and then he had assumed his required position within the ranks. He had gone barely a tree-length after emerging from the swamp when he had tripped over his large paws. No cat had bothered to stop to help him up, and so now he was slinking along further toward the middle of the army.

“This very mouse-brained,” he kept squeaking quietly to himself as he kept pace with the others through the marshy haze.

Slowly, steadily, the Tribe cats cleared the tangle of the swamps and moved out onto the open grasslands where the FieldClan cats were already waiting.

Sky crouched in the shadows of a large boulder directly across from a small ForestClan camp just inside the ForestClan boundary. It was quiet here as well, the bulk of the FieldClan cats sent to the other side of the main ForestClan camp to deal with the Tribe of Deep Waters, the remainder scattered throughout the rest of the territory in patrols and on watch in the various camps. Nevertheless, many FieldClan cats lounged in the center of the camp, and more patrolled the surrounding area, all guarding a small number of ForestClan cats. Freeing them was not going to be easy.

Sky glanced over at those with him. Forestspeaker, white pelt clean of her usual clay-dust, crouched with Tallear beside the LightClan cats, waiting for Brownmoss’s signal to get into position on the other side of the camp. Brightbreeze, the decoy Forestspeaker, and the other ForestClan cats waited patiently behind them, ready to move quickly. Bluepaw and Robinpaw huddled together at the very back of the group of eighteen cats. It seemed to the kit like a pathetically small number of warriors to carry the day, but it was all they had.

At least Moonlight and Sunpaw weren’t ignoring each other any longer. They had begun doing so on the journey in from the swamp, exchanging comments guardedly, testing the waters. Sky had listened carefully, more attuned to the nuances of their conversation than others could be, hearing in the inflection of their voices more than simply the words uttered. After a time, when the words had healed enough of the breach that they felt comfortable again, there were warm expressions, brief and almost sad, but clear in purpose. The two toms were old friends and their relationship that of father and son. They did not want to toss it all away over a single disagreement. Sky was thankful for that – especially since the disagreement in question was over him.

Forestspeaker had approached him as well, briefly joining him as they made their way through the forest toward the camp, her warm gaze banishing all his doubts and fears in a heartbeat.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner,” she mewed, apologizing for hiding her identity. “I know it’s a surprise.”

“It’s okay,” he mewed, lifting his tail bravely.

“I guess knowing I’m a leader makes you feel differently about me, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“I guess, but that’s okay. Just so you still like me. Because I still like you.” He looked over at her hopefully.

“Of course, Sky. Telling you who I really am doesn’t mean my feelings for you have changed. I was the same cat before, whether you knew the truth about me or not.”

He thought about it for a heartbeat. “I suppose.” He brightened. “So I guess my feelings for you shouldn’t be any different now either.”

She moved away, purring warmly back at him, and just then he felt as tall as the trees around them. 

So now he was at peace with himself about the LightClan cats and Forestspeaker, but was beset with new concerns. What if something happened to them during the fight ahead? What if they were hurt or even…? He couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought. Nothing bad would happen to them, that was all. He wouldn’t let it. He glanced at them, crouching in silence at the edge of the camp, and promised himself he would keep them safe no matter what. That would be his job. His ears flattened in determination as he made his pledge.

“Once we get inside, Sky, you find a safe place to hide with the two younger apprentices until this is over,” Moonlight advised suddenly, leaning close, almost as if he could read the kit’s mind.

“Sure,” Sky promised.

“And stay there,” the LightClan sage added firmly.

Across the way, Brownmoss, Jaypaw, and a few other ForestClan warriors were in position now, placing the FieldClan cats in-between them and Forestspeaker’s group. Forestspeaker stretched out her tail along the ground and quivered the tip toward Brownmoss in signal.

All around Sky, claws were unsheathed and muscles bunched in readiness.

Then Brownmoss’s cats flung themselves at the FieldClan cats, taking down several in the space of a few heartbeats. The rest, suddenly realizing what was happening, spun around and began fighting back, drawn toward the source of the conflict and away from Forestspeaker’s group.

Moonlight came to his paws. “Stay close,” he hissed to Sky.

A heartbeat later, the kit was running with the others toward the den being used to imprison the other ForestClan cats.

Frog held himself as tall as he could, having regained his composure and resumed his previous position in the second rank. The Tribe of Deep Waters was spread out all along the grasslands on either side of where he walked for as far as the eye could see. The Tribe cats were lean and muscular, legs and paws strong from a lifetime spent in and around water. 

At the head of the army strode Tar and the other senior warriors, the strongest of the Tribe cats.

The army crested a rise, a great, rolling wave of long bodies, and on a tail signal from Tar, halted.

Across a long, shallow depression, its position secure on the next ridge over, the FieldClan army waited. Lines of rogues and proper Clan cats alike spread out from one side to the other. The cats stood silently, seemingly devoid of emotion, and was trained to fight without mercy.

Frog stared at the FieldClan army in awe. There was not a remotely compassionate look on any of the opposing cat’s faces. It made his fur prickle to think of what that meant.

Tar gestured for them to hold their positions. The FieldClan army was quick to test their resolve. At a signal from Slenderleg, who was leading them, the FieldClan cats began to yowl and screech and chant and pound their paws against the ground. The effect was a thunderous sound that grew and echoed throughout the battlefield.

On the other side, the Tribe of Deep Waters waited patiently, standing firm, trusting the strength of their willing to defend their home. From his position, Frog flinched and squirmed fearfully, uttering various prayers to ward off the destruction he was certain would find him otherwise. Relentlessly, the FieldClan cats continued their attempt at demoralizing their enemy. The sound was nearly deafening, but the Tribe cats held their ground.

Finally, the FieldClan cats fell silent. Try as they might, they couldn’t convince the Tribe cats to back down.

But now Slenderleg was moving along the front row, eyes gleaming with the joy of battle. He stalked to the center in front of the FieldClan army and paused, tail held high. The cats behind him unsheathed their claws in anticipation.

Positioned at the forefront of their own army, Tar and the other senior warriors exchanged worried looks.

Slenderleg flicked the tip of his tail toward the Tribe cats, and the FieldClan army began to move forward slowly and deliberately.

The Tribe cats could now see just how outnumbered they were. Frog began to wish he were somewhere else, thinking that as mighty as the Tribe of Deep Waters was, it was nowhere near the might of the flood of cats that marched against it now.

But the Tribe cats had come prepared for battle, and they were not so deterred by the number of their enemies that they were ready to quit. All up and down their lines, claws were unsheathed, bracing themselves for the attack. At the base of the rise on which they waited, the front ranks of the FieldClan cats began to run at the Tribe cats. 

Amid a chorus of battle-cries of their own, the Tribe cats charged to meet them. The two armies met in a clash of claws and teeth. Fur and blood began to fall to the ground as the cats battled for their lives.

Resisting the temptation to shut his eyes against what he knew was coming, Frog bunched his legs beneath him and charged ahead with his Tribe-mates.

In the relative seclusion of Forestspeaker’s old den in the main ForestClan camp, a place they had believed safely removed from any real danger, Newtstar and Hawkfur stared at an injured FieldClan cat as he stumbled over his report. The LightClan cats were at a smaller camp not far from them, accompanied by ForestClan cats, freeing prisoners and wreaking havoc on the FieldClan warriors who tried to stop them.

“How did they get into the territory unnoticed?” Hawkfur hissed in dismay.

Newtstar looked stunned. “I don’t know. I thought the battle was going to take place far from here.” His eyes were wide and staring. “This is too close!”

They turned as one when Darkmaul stalked from the corner he had settled himself in, bearing a red Force-Crystal on each foreleg. Yellow eyes gleamed in contrast with his dark fur.

Newtstar and Hawkfur backed away instinctively, neither of them wanting to get in the way. “Darkmaul,” Newtstar greeted, inclining his head briefly.

Darkmaul glanced at him disdainfully. “I told you there was more to this than was apparent!” His eyes had a wild, manic look to them. “The LightClan cats have come to this territory for a reason, Newtstar. They have a plan of their own for defeating us.”

“A plan?” the FieldClan leader asked worriedly.

“One that will fail, I assure you.” The yellow eyes glinted wickedly in the light. “I have waited a long time for this. I have trained for it endlessly. The LightClan cats will regret their decision to return here.”

There was an edge to his rough hiss that was frightening. The DarkClan tom was anxious for this confrontation, his body coiled and ready, his claws extending and retracting repeatedly. The FieldClan cats did not envy those he sought.

“Wait here until I return,” he ordered abruptly, and swept past them.

“Where are you going?” Newtstar demanded frantically as the DarkClan cat stalked toward the den entrance.

“Where do you think I’m going, Newtstar?” the other growled. “I’m going to rid you of the LightClan cats once and for all.”


	19. Uncertain Outcomes and Confrontations

Sky rushed into the open den after the LightClan cats and Forestspeaker, with Bluepaw and the rest of the ForestClan warriors on their tails. FieldClan warriors turned to confront them, but they cut down the foremost before the others even knew what was happening. The FieldClan cats rallied in response, calling for help from without, but Brownmoss and his patrol had those in the center of the camp already under control.

Mindful of Moonlight’s admonition, Sky wedged himself in a small crevice to one side of the entrance. Bluepaw and Robinpaw positioned themselves in front of it both to defend him and to stay out of the way.

“Get the prisoners loose!” Forestspeaker yowled at her companions, flying at the FieldClan cats with her claws extended.

Dodging and lunging, she cut down her opponents with quick, precise moves, bringing down cat after cat with unerring ease. The LightClan cats fought just ahead of her, striking down any FieldClan cat unfortunate enough to cross their path with their Force-Crystals activated. But it was Forestspeaker on whom Sky’s eyes were riveted, for not only had he never seen this side of her, he hadn’t even known it existed. She moved with the skill of a warrior many seasons older, no longer seeming in any way a regular she-cat, becoming instead a deadly combatant.

He thought suddenly of his dream of Forestspeaker leading an army in another time and place, and suddenly the dream didn’t seem so impossible.

ForestClan cats from the attacking force and all but a few of newly freed Clanmates quickly raced from the den, scattering to avoid the fighting cats all around. Darting out of the camp entrance, they charged toward the surrounding forest and the distant FieldClan camp. 

One she-cat rushing toward the den entrance past Sky and the two apprentices and paused mid-stride. “Better get out of here, you three!” she yowled at them. “Find yourselves a new hiding place! There’s too much fighting in here for you!”

They scrambled out of the den and flung themselves behind a large rock a fox-length away from the camp entrance. The fighting began to die down as the last of the FieldClan cats were cut down or chased out.

The remaining ForestClan cats able to fight quickly gathered together just outside the now-empty den. There was a hurried conference between the LightClan cats, Forestspeaker, and Brownmoss, and then the entire group began to move out toward the camp entrance, taking them directly past Sky and the two apprentices.

“Hey, where are you going?” the kit asked, sticking his head out from behind the rock along with Bluepaw and Robinpaw.

“Sky, you stay there!” Moonlight ordered, motioning him back. His fur was unkempt and his eyes intense. “Stay right where you are, all three of you!”

The kit and apprentices ignored him, getting to their paws instead. “No!” they yowled.

“We want to go with you and Forestspeaker!” Sky added.

“Stay behind that rock!” Moonlight snarled in a tone that brooked no argument.

They froze, undecided, as the group continued on toward the edge of the camp. Bluepaw and Robinpaw did not want to be left behind, and Sky had no intention of letting Moonlight and Forestspeaker go on without him, especially since he could do nothing to help them if he was stuck here.

They were still wrestling with the matter when the entire group slowed just outside the camp’s entrance. A large, menacing tom stepped around a stump to confront them. Sky’s breath caught in his throat. It was the DarkClan warrior who had attacked them in the Great-Sand-Place, a dangerous adversary, Moonlight had advised the kit later, an enemy of LightClan. He stepped out of the shadows silently, his fur shimmering like blood in the sunlight, his yellow eyes bright with anticipation and rage.

Blocking the way forward, he stood waiting for the LightClan cats and their companions, a red Force-Crystal on each foreleg. Brownmoss and most of the ForestClan warriors backed away at once. Then, on command from Moonlight, Forestspeaker and the rest gave ground as well, though less quickly and with more obvious reluctance.

Moonlight and Sunpaw stood alone in the DarkClan cat’s path. In unison, they shifted into ready stances and activated their Force-Crystals. Their antagonist flicked his tail idly, then activated both of his own. Blazing claws extended from both forepaws as opposed to the LightClan cats’ one each. The DarkClan tom bared his teeth ferally as he casually beckoned the LightClan cats ahead with his tail.

Spreading out to either side, Moonlight and Sunpaw slowly advanced to meet him.

On the plains outside the main camp, the battle between FieldClan and the Tribe of Deep Waters armies was fully joined. Cats were locked in close combat, a tangle of claws and pelts. The Tribe cats were fierce combatants, but there were many more FieldClan cats than there were Tribe cats.

Frog fought at the center of the maelstrom, lashing out desperately, whirling and stumbling this way and that, careening wildly. What he lacked in ferocity and skill he made up for in surprising strength. One large FieldClan cat leaped onto his back and attempted to bite down only to be thrown off into a group of other FieldClan cats, knocking all of them down. The cat staggered back up and tried again.

“This mouse-brained! This very mouse-brained!” The Tribe cat wailed the refrain over and over as he swung around and fought to keep the opposing tom away.

When at last he brought the cat down with a lucky blow to the head, he was left standing in a wide-open space that every cat on both sides was trying desperately to avoid. For a terrifying moment, Frog had no clue which way to turn.

Then a chant went up from the Tribe cats closest. “Frog That Leaps From Stone! Frog That Leaps From Stone!”

“Who, me?” the befuddled Tribe cat gasped.

Inspired warriors rallied around him and pressed ahead once more, sweeping him along in a wild and unexpected counterattack.

But FieldClan was unfazed. Slenderleg, noticing what was happening, yowled at his warriors. They redoubled their efforts, swarming forward with teeth and claws bared. Tribe cats went down in broken heaps, but other Tribe cats moved quickly to fill the gaps in their lines, fighting to hold their ground.

Back and forth the battle raged, the outcome undecided.

Sky had made a promise to himself that he would see to it somehow that he would protect Moonlight and Forestspeaker from harm, that he would see to it somehow that nothing bad happened to them. He knew when he made the promise how hard it was going to be to keep. Somewhere in the back of his mind where he would admit such things privately, he knew how mouse-brained it was to even make such a commitment. But he was young and brave at heart, and he had lived his life pretty much on his own terms because to live it any other way would have broken him long ago. It hadn’t been easy doing so, especially as a serf-cat. He had survived mostly because he had been able to find small victories in difficult situations and because he had always believed that one day he would find a way to overcome the circumstances of his birth.

His belief in himself had been rewarded. His life had been changed forever by his victory in the Sand Dune Race a little less than a moon ago.

It was not so strange then that he should decide he could somehow affect the lives of a LightClan sage and a ForestClan leader as well, even if he did not know precisely how. He was not afraid to accept such responsibility. He was not daunted by the challenge his decision presented.

But now his resolve was put to the test.

Moonlight and Sunpaw closed with the DarkClan cat in a clash of claws and angry yowls and screeches. Whirling across the ground, the combatants lunged and dodged, attack and counter-attack carried out in a fierce, no-mercy-given struggle. The DarkClan cat was lithe a quick, and he worked his way between the LightClan cats with confidence and ease, whipping back and forth to strike at them in turn, more than holding his own against their efforts to bring him down. He was skilled, Sky and his friends saw – more skilled, perhaps, than the pair he faced. And he was confident in a way that was disturbing. He would not be overcome easily.

But Forestspeaker and the ForestClan cats faced a more dangerous situation. Farther away from the battle, disturbed by all of the activity above, a trio of badgers lumbered out of a hidden den and blocked their path. Bluepaw saw them first hissed a warning at Robinpaw and Sky. They tore their gazes away from the LightClan and DarkClan cats. The badgers were snarling at the ForestClan cats and lunging at the ones that got too close. Several cats went down, and Brightbreeze was struck by a glancing blow that knocked her backwards into Brownmoss. Forestspeaker and her warriors resisted determinedly, but they were losing ground.

“We’ve got to help,” Sky declared, leaping to his paws with the intention of doing something, anything, casting about for an idea.

But Bluepaw was way ahead of him. The apprentice had noticed that the badgers were beneath an overhang. A large rock was perched precariously on top of it. He quickly nudged his friend.

“Look!” he meowed, pointing it out for Sky.

Sky’s eyes narrowed. “Great work, Bluepaw!” he meowed excitedly, moving toward it. “I’ve got an idea! Come on!”

The trio raced over to the overhang, managing to avoid catching the attention of either group. They scrambled up to the rock and quickly looked it over. It was held in place by little more than a clump of dirt and pebbles, but the blockage was surprisingly sturdy.

“Quick, start digging!” Sky dove for the debris. Bluepaw and Robinpaw were quick to join him.

The kit lifted his eyes momentarily. Another ForestClan cat went down in a crumpled heap as the badgers continued to lash out at Forestspeaker’s dwindling force.

In desperation, Sky sped up his digging, shoving pebbles and dirt-clumps out of the way. The rock began to shake violently, then tumbled forward as the three friends scrambled out of the way. It fell onto the foremost badger, crushing it instantly. The three young cats yowled triumphantly. The remaining badgers spun around and went after them. They bolted for the trees, luring the badgers away from the main group. They clawed their way up a dying tree on the edge of a steep incline, Sky slipping only once as he climbed. Behind the badgers, Forestspeaker, Brownmoss, and the remaining ForestClan cats were racing past the fallen rock and beyond, aiming for the main ForestClan camp. Sky watched from his perch alongside his two friends. “Good luck,” he mewed quietly.

The badgers were lumbering around at the base of the tree, snarling up at the three cats, shaking the trunk trying to reach them. Sky had a brief glimpse of the DarkClan warrior driving the LightClan cats across the field and through an opening into a tunnel beyond, pressing them back relentlessly, pursuing them with a fury that was terrifying.

Then they disappeared from view as well, and the three young cats were alone with their attackers.

A badger threw itself against the trunk and a loud crack filled the air. The trio dug their claws in deeper. The tree, finally reaching its limit, fell toward the edge, pitching the trio over the cliff. They lost their grip and dropped, just managing to land without collapsing.

Sky scrambled up first and looked around, eyes searching for a way out. “Good news is we’re safe from those badgers,” he hissed.

“Let me guess,” Robinpaw meowed as she stood up. “Bad news is we’re stuck.”

“Pretty much,” was the reply.

Bluepaw shook the dust from his fur. “Well, there’s a tunnel over there.” He pointed his tail further along.

Sky looked over. “Well, it’s our only way out, I guess.”

As the three cats hurried into the tunnel, they silently wondered how in Silverpelt they were going to save themselves now.


	20. Trapped and Cornered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end of this episode.....

Moonlight was one of the most able warriors in LightClan. The sage he had trained under had considered him one of the best the sage had taught in his many seasons in the Clan. Moonlight had fought in conflicts in nearly every territory in existence in the span of his life and against odds so great that many others would not have stood a chance. He had survived battles that had tested his skill and resolve in every conceivable way.

But on this day, he had met his match. The DarkClan warrior he battled with Sunpaw was more than his equal in battle training, and he had the advantage of being younger and stronger. Moonlight was over 85 moons old: his youth was behind him and his strength was beginning to diminish. His edge now, to the extent that he had one, came from his long experience and intuitive grasp of how an adversary might use Force-Energy against him.

Sunpaw brought youth and stamina to the combat, but he had fought in only a few contests and was not battle-hardened. Together, they were able to hold their own against the DarkClan tom, but their efforts at attack, at assuming the offensive against this dangerous adversary, were woefully inadequate.

Darkmaul was a warrior in his prime, never to be any better, his powers at their full strength. In addition, he was driven by his fervent hatred for and disdain of the LightClan cats, the enemies of DarkClan for generations. He had worked and trained all his life for this moment, for a chance to meet a LightClan warrior in combat. It was an added bonus that he was able to engage two. He had no fear for himself, no doubt that he would win. He was focused in a way that Moonlight recognized at once – a LightClan cat’s focus, mindful of the present, locked in on what was needed in the here and now. Moonlight saw it in his mad eyes and in the set of his large frame. The DarkClan warrior was a living example of what the sage was always telling Sunpaw about how best to hear the will of the Force.

The three combatants fought their way across the grass, Force-Crystals and energy-infused claws flashing, bringing to bear every skill they had learned over the seasons. The LightClan cats tried continually to press the attack, and indeed, the DarkClan tom was moving away from the ForestClan warriors and back toward a nearby hill. But Moonlight recognized that while it might seem as if the LightClan cats were driving him before them, it was the DarkClan warrior who was controlling the struggle. Whirling and spinning, leaping and tumbling with astonishing ease, their enemy was taking them with him, drawing them to a place of his own choosing. His agility and dexterity allowed him to keep them both at bay, constantly attacking while simultaneously dodging their counterattacks, relentlessly searching for an opening in their defense.

Moonlight pressed hard in the beginning, sensing how dangerous this tom was, wanting to put an end to the combat quickly. Tail held steady, he attacked with ferocity and determination. Sunpaw came with him, following his lead. They had fought together before, and they knew each other’s movements. Moonlight had trained Sunpaw, and while the younger tom was not yet his equal, he believed that one day Sunpaw would be better than he had ever been.

So they challenged the DarkClan warrior quickly, and just as quickly discovered that their best efforts were not good enough to achieve an early resolution. They settled into a pattern then, working as a team against their enemy, waiting for an opening. But the DarkClan tom was too smart to give them one, and so the battle raged on.

They fought their way into a large tunnel that led down into a vast, deep cavern. Overhangs and stone paths crisscrossed a pit with a series of underground streams flowing beneath. The sound of dripping and flowing water filled the cavern. Streaks of sunlight were seen in places where tree roots buried into the ground. The three cats battled onto one of the stone paths suspended above the water, and the chamber echoed with their hissing and snarling.

Alone in the cavern, hidden from other cats, they intensified their struggle.

The DarkClan warrior leapt from the stone path they were fighting on to the one above, eyes burning with the heat of battle and his own peculiar joy. The LightClan cats followed, one coming up in front of him, one behind, so that they had him pinned between them. Down the length of the path they fought, Force-Crystals flashing, sparks flying from the stone as their glowing claws scraped against it.

Then Darkmaul caught Sunpaw off balance and with a powerful kick knocked the tom completely off the stone. Taking advantage of the DarkClan tom’s assault on Sunpaw, Moonlight forced Darkmaul over the edge as well. Down the DarkClan cat tumbled, landing hard on a stone path a treelength below Sunpaw. The force of the fall or perhaps the unexpectedness of it left him visibly stunned, and Moonlight leapt down after him, sensing a chance to put an end to things. But the DarkClan cat struggled back to his paws quickly and raced away, taking the battle in a new direction.

By the time Sunpaw had recovered, Moonlight was in pursuit of Darkmaul, following him down the path toward a small opening at the far end of the cavern. The LightClan sage went swiftly, pelt and muscles rippling, Force-Crystal gleaming. He was worn and battered by now, close to exhaustion, but the DarkClan tom was on the defensive at last, and he did not want to give him a chance to regroup.

“Moonlight!” Sunpaw yowled after him, trying to catch up, but the LightClan sage did not slow.

One after the other, the three antagonists passed through the small opening into a tunnel beyond. They were moving quickly in their frenzied chase and were into the tunnel when it happened. Bits of debris began to break loose from above them as they rushed through the tunnel. Darkmaul, in the lead, got furthest down the tunnel and found himself trapped between two piles of debris, one in front and one behind. Moonlight, in close pursuit, was caught one debris pile away. Sunpaw, who was farthest away in the chase, didn’t even make it into the tunnel before part of the tunnel fell to block him.

Shocked into immobility by the suddenness of the collapses, the cats froze where they were, casting about for an escape, finding none. Moonlight dropped into a guarded crouch to meditate and catch his breath. He recalled seeing a smaller chamber on the other side of the tunnel, undoubtedly where the DarkClan warrior was headed. As he crouched there, he could sense the DarkClan cat digging his way through the pile of debris blocking his way to the small chamber beyond just as Sunpaw was fighting to clear the debris in front of him. 

Moonlight opened his eyes and fixed them meaningfully on the debris keeping him from his opponent, then rose and began to dig.

Forestspeaker, leader of ForestClan, along with her warriors, followed a winding, half-sheltered path from the small border-camp to the main ForestClan camp. It was a running battle fought against the FieldClan warriors who had been left behind to patrol the stretch of territory leading to the main camp. They encountered enemy warriors both singly and in entire patrols, and there was nothing for it each time but to fight their way clear without becoming entangled in a full-fledged engagement.

As a consequence, they avoided a direct route in favor of one less likely to necessitate contact with the FieldClan cats. At first they had no choice but to make straight for the main camp, fleeing the battle outside the border-camp, hoping that speed and surprise would carry them through. When that failed, Brownmoss began to take a more cautious approach. They used underground tunnels and closely growing trees that avoided the patrols scouring the grasses. When they were discovered, they fought their way clear as quickly as possible and went to ground, all the while continuing steadily on.

In the end, they reached the base of the hill on which the camp was located much more quickly than Forestspeaker had dared to hope, emerging from another tunnel, then making their way toward the hill slope.

They were in the midst of this endeavor when a large patrol of FieldClan cats rounded the hill to their left and charged them. Forestspeaker and her followers turned tail and ran alongside the hill in the opposite direction, searching for another way up. More cats were rushing in their direction, alerted by their Clanmates yowls of alarm.

“Brownmoss!” Forestspeaker meowed at him above the din. “We don’t have time for this!”

Brownmoss glanced about hurriedly, then spotted a tall oak with its branches stretched over a ledge to one side of the hill. “Let’s try there!” he meowed back.

Turning swiftly, he led the way to the oak. While most of the warriors, led by Brightbreeze, held off the FieldClan cats, Forestspeaker, Brownmoss, and Jaypaw, together with five other warriors, increased their speed and raced up the trunk.

From below, the sounds of battle grew louder and more intense. Forestspeaker forced herself to ignore it, facing forward and continuing up.

When they reached the overhanging branches, the cats hurried carefully along them and leapt onto the ledge. They were less than halfway down the hill from the camp. Forestspeaker felt a fierce exultation as she landed on the ledge. She would have the FieldClan leader as her prisoner yet!

But the thought was no sooner completed than another patrol of FieldClan cats appeared to block their path. Mere heartbeats later, a second patrol appeared, prepared to attack.

With a deep snarl, the foremost cat ordered them to stand down.

Forestspeaker hesitated. There was no possibility for an escape unless they leapt down from the ledge, and if they did that, they would be right back where they were and still likely overwhelmed. They could try to fight their way free, but while they stood a reasonable chance, there would still be many wounded.

In the wake of this chilling assessment, she realized that the sounds from below had faded, and an inspired thought occurred to her, a solution that might give them the victory they sought in spite of their situation. She sheathed her claws, relaxed her stance, and lowered her head and tail in surrender.

“Stand down,” she ordered her warriors. “They win this fight.”

Brownmoss widened his eyes. “But, Forestspeaker, we can’t –”

“Brownmoss,” Forestspeaker interrupted, her eyes locking with his. “I said to stand down.”

Brownmoss gave her a look that suggested he clearly thought she had bees in her brain. Then he sheathed his claws and indicated for the other ForestClan cats to do the same.

The FieldClan warriors moved to take them prisoner. But before they reached the ForestClan cats, Forestspeaker was able to send a subtle signal with her tail.

“Have faith,” she urged a bewildered Brownmoss, her tone cool and collected as she dimly heard the sound of a cat dropping unnoticed from the tree behind them.

Things were not going well for the Tribe of Deep Waters. Like the ForestClan cats, the Tribe cats were vastly outnumbered by the FieldClan cats. Slowly, but surely, they were being pushed back, unable to stand against the relentless FieldClan attack. Here and there along their beleaguered lines, cracks were beginning to appear in their defense.

Frog was at the heart of one of those points.

For a time, his had been one of the strongest positions, the warriors around him rallied by what they mistakenly believed to be his unrivaled bravery, turning a rout into a counterattack. But the counterattack had extended itself too far, and with the continuous flow of FieldClan cats, it collapsed completely. Now Frog and his Tribemates were in flight, falling back to rejoin the rest of the surviving Tribe cats, desperately trying to find a way to regroup.

Frog, who had fallen a bit behind, was running for his life. Desperate to increase the distance between himself and the pursuing FieldClan cats, he made for a small stretch of dead trees swaying threateningly in the wind. Remembering the ForestClan cat’s move with the fallen tree at the beginning of his journey, he yowled an idea at his trembling Tribemates. Directing them with a newfound courage, the cats worked quickly to dig beneath the tree roots. Unable to hold themselves upright any longer, the trees began to tumble. One fell in such a way that it actually started to roll. The Tribe cats dove out of the way, scrambling to avoid being struck. They were successful at this, but the FieldClan cats, for the most part, were not. The ones that weren’t immediately crushed retreated immediately, eyes wide in panic.

“This good!” Frog yowled in glee as he stood among his emboldened Tribemates watching the FieldClan cats scrabbling this way and that in an effort to escape the free-rolling tree.

Elsewhere, however, the battle was taking a turn for the worse. FieldClan cats had broken through the line of Tribe warriors, and were cutting down every cat in their path. Slenderleg, watching it all from a large boulder, was quick to signal the rest of his warriors forward.

When Tar saw so many warriors falling at once, he realized the battle was lost. The Tribe of Deep Waters had done all they could for the leader of ForestClan. He yowled for a retreat. The call was taken up all along the grasslands, and the Tribe cats began to fall back.

Frog and his Tribemates raced madly for the safety of the swamp. Stumbling a bit over his large paws, he was scrambling to keep up. Their pursuers noticed his trouble and went after him most, hoping to take him down quickly. But fear kept Frog just ahead of them.

“Oh no!” he wailed suddenly, spotting trouble ahead.

Tar saw the same thing in almost the same moment: more FieldClan cats were rushing to block the Tribe cats’ path. He stopped quickly, signaling for the rest to do the same. The remaining Tribe cats, seeing nowhere else to go, quickly formed a circle facing outward.

The FieldClan warriors, now completely surrounding the Tribe cats, began to approach slowly and deliberately, and Frog, forcing himself to not close his eyes against the sight, was pretty sure that this was the end.

Sky, Robinpaw, and Bluepaw, meanwhile, were caught up in a sudden tunnel collapse. They bolted wildly, claws scrabbling against the hard ground, unable to go anywhere but forward. Dust and stone created clouds around them as they flung themselves at the exit. Finally clear, they paused to catch their breath.

“Great StarClan, that was tense!” Sky breathed with a glance at the others.

The two apprentices agreed with bright eyes. As they all shook dust from their pelts, they looked back at the tunnel they’d run from. Debris filled the entrance to the point that they could barely distinguish it from the wall.

“Well,” Bluepaw commented, “I guess going back is out of the question.”

“Go back?” Robinpaw echoed. “Why would we do that anyway?”

“Yeah!” Sky added. “Besides, Moonlight told us to stay together, and that’s what we’re going to do! Come on!”

He turned and started to lead them deeper into the cave they found themselves in. As the trio wandered further in, they started to hear muffled sounds from outside. Only when they had walked three fox-lengths further did they realize what they were hearing: a battle was taking place just on the other side of the wall. They saw sunlight just ahead and slunk quietly to the opening to peer out. The cave was halfway up the wall of a gorge, and cats were fighting below them. They spotted Owlwing fighting three cats at once, then realized all at once that somehow they had managed to travel all the way to the FieldClan camp, which was currently under attack by ForestClan.

Sky twitched an ear nervously. “I think we’re in trouble.”

“You think?” Bluepaw hissed. “I _know_ we’re in trouble! We’re not supposed to be here!”

Robinpaw nudged her brother. “That couldn’t be helped, Bluepaw. Since we _are_ here, how do we get out?”

They looked around desperately. Down below, they could hear the ForestClan cats calling to each other.

“Slipflight!” Owlwing was yowling. “Can you make it over?”

The tom in question flung a FieldClan cat off of his back. “No! There’s too many of these FieldClan rogues!”

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Sky spotted a pile of thorn-covered branches in front of an opening. And if he looked closely right behind the branches….

“Look!” he hissed. “Aren’t those the captured ForestClan warriors?”

The other two spun around. “Yes!” Bluepaw flicked his tail.

Sky thought hard. “Since we’re here, maybe we can help!”

Robinpaw gave him a curious look. “How?”

Heartbeats later, the trio was carefully maneuvering their way along the gorge walls. They moved slowly and deliberately so as to avoid gaining attention from the cats below. It felt like moons had passed before they finally reached a small hole in the gorge wall right above the prisoners. Sky found a spot soft enough to dig close to the back and the three were quick to start digging. They worked frantically, hurrying to open a large enough hole for the prisoners below, who started to dig from beneath as soon as they realized what was happening.

Robinpaw sliced her paw on a sharp pebble she hadn’t noticed. “Fox-dung!” she hissed.

As Bluepaw turned to look he noticed something happening outside. He crept over and glanced out. “Sky?”

The kit hurried over and popped his head out a bit. “Oh, oh,” he mewed softly.

A group of FieldClan cats were approaching the hole, fur raised menacingly. Their only escape route was blocked.


	21. Victory and Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left to go for Episode 1! I have also made one last update to the Allegiances list because of timeline discrepancies that I discovered while beginning my prep-work for Episode 2. (This fic has really taught me a ton)

Sunpaw dug his claws into the debris blocking his way forward. He was furious with himself for getting trapped so far away from Moonlight and furious with Moonlight for letting this happen by rushing ahead instead of waiting for him. But he was worried, too. He could admit it to himself, privately, if only just. They should have won this battle long ago. Against any other opponent, they would have. But the DarkClan warrior was battle trained and seasoned well beyond any cat they had ever encountered before. He had matched them blow for blow, and they weren’t any closer to winning this fight now than they had been in the beginning.

Sunpaw finally forced away enough debris to see what was beyond and began mentally measuring the distance he would have to run to reach Moonlight and his antagonist when he broke through. He caught a glimpse of the debris that separated his mentor from the DarkClan cat, knowing that, too, would need to be cleared to reach their enemy. He would have to be quick. Very quick. He did not want the sage facing this fox-hearted cat alone.

Further down the tunnel, behind another pile of debris, Moonlight worked carefully to reach the DarkClan warrior. As he dug, he gathered himself mentally for a final assault, bringing himself in tune with the Force. Sunpaw did not like the weariness he saw in the heaviness of the older tom’s paws, in the lowering of his head. He was the best warrior Sunpaw had ever seen, but he was growing old.

Beyond, the DarkClan warrior had already broken through to the chamber on the other side and was cleaning his wounds, a series of burns and slashes marked by loose patches of fur. He was backed to the edge of a deep hole that had formed in the center when the stone and dirt above had partially given way earlier, keeping an eye on Moonlight’s progress. Recognizing that the LightClan cat was about to break through, he tensed his muscles and activated his Force-Crystals, tail twitching in open derision.

In a heartbeat, the LightClan sage broke through the debris.

Sunpaw hissed as his efforts accidently released more dirt from above, thickening the pile between him and the chamber. Moonlight lunged forward, his green Force-Crystal flashing. He closed swiftly with the DarkClan warrior, forcing him out of the way of the tunnel. Sunpaw dug frantically, desperate to reach the combatants.

Trapped at the other end of the tunnel, he watched helplessly through the small hole he had managed to create as Moonlight and Darkmaul battled on the ledge that encircled the pit. Desperately, he dug his claws in harder, but the debris, which was more stone than dirt, seemed to barely move beneath his paws. He could only keep digging and watch and pray that Moonlight could hold on.

It appeared that the LightClan sage would. He had found a fresh reserve of strength, and now he was attacking with a ferocity that seemed to have the DarkClan warrior stymied. With quick, hard strikes, he bored into his adversary, deliberately engaging in close-quarters combat, refusing to let the other advance. He drove Darkmaul backward about the edge of the pit, keeping the DarkClan warrior constantly on the defensive, pressing in on him steadily. Moonlight might no longer be young, but he was still powerful. Darkmaul bared his teeth with a frenzied look, and the glitter of his yellow eyes brightened with uncertainty.

 _Good, mentor,_ Sunpaw thought, urging him on voicelessly, anticipating Moonlight’s strikes as if they were his own.

Then Darkmaul flung himself across the pit, giving himself some space in which to recover, gaining just enough time to assume a new battle stance. Moonlight was on him in a heartbeat, covering the distance separating them in a rush, battering the DarkClan warrior anew. But he was beginning to weary now from carrying the battle alone. His blows were not so vigorous as before, his whiskers quivering and his muscles were taut with fatigue.

Slowly, Darkmaul began to edge his way back into the fight, becoming the aggressor once more.

 _Hurry!_ Sunpaw hissed soundlessly, willing the debris pile to fall away more quickly.

Blow for blow, Moonlight and Darkmaul battled about the edge of the pit, locked in a combat that seemed endless and forever and could be won by neither.

Then the DarkClan warrior dodged a blow to the right, kicked at the other cat’s muzzle, and spun and slashed blindly. Too late, Moonlight recognized the danger. The DarkClan warrior’s blazing claws raked his belly, burning deep through pelt and flesh.

Sunpaw thought he heard the LightClan sage wail, then realized it was himself, calling his friend’s name in despair. Moonlight made no sound as the DarkClan cat’s claws ripped through him, jerking with the impact, then swaying back a step as they passed. He stood motionless for a heartbeat, fighting against the shock of the killing blow. Then his eyes clouded, his head and tail lowered, and a great weariness settled over his proud features. He dropped to the ground, and his Force-Crystal went dark.

He was slumped over and motionless when the last of the debris abruptly fell away, and Sunpaw, seething with rage, rushed to his rescue.

Newtstar stood with Hawkfur and four other cats as Brownmoss, his apprentice, and six other ForestClan warriors were led into the leader’s den by a patrol of ten FieldClan warriors. The FieldClan leader recognized Brownmoss at once, but he was unclear as to the identity of the she-cat who stood next to him and he appeared to defer to. He was looking for Forestspeaker, and while the white she-cat bore a certain resemblance to her…

He caught himself in surprise. It _was_ Forestspeaker, without her covering of clay-dust, catmint, and tansy to mask her scent and color her pelt. She looked even younger than she had with her disguise, but her warm brown eyes and that cool gaze were unmistakable.

He glanced at Hawkfur and saw the same confusion reflected in his deputy’s face.

“Forestspeaker,” he greeted as she was led up to him.

“Newtstar,” she replied, confirming his conclusion as to her identity.

That settled, he swiftly assumed the pose of a captor confronting his captive. “Your little insurrection is at an end, Forestspeaker. The rogue army you sent against us in the grasslands has been crushed. The LightClan cats are being dealt with elsewhere. And you are my captive.”

“Am I?” she asked quietly.

The way she uttered that phrase was unnerving. There was something challenging in the way she uttered it, as if she were daring him to disagree. Even Brownmoss turned to look at her.

“Yes, you are.” He pressed ahead, wondering if he had missed something. His tail rose. “It is time for you to put an end to the pointless debate you instigated at the Great Gathering. Concede to our terms now.”

There was a commotion just outside the den, the sound of yowls and screeches, and all at once Forestspeaker was standing at the entrance, a group of FieldClan warriors on the ground or on the run behind her and more ForestClan warriors warding their leader against the appearance of more.

“I will not make any agreement, Newtstar!” she yowled to him, already beginning to move away. “You’ve lost!”

For a heartbeat Newtstar was so stunned he could not make himself move. A second Forestspeaker? But this was the real one, covered in clay-dust, addressing him in that imperious voice he had come to recognize so well.

He whirled toward the warriors holding Brownmoss and the false Forestspeaker at bay. “You six! After her!” He lashed his tail in the direction of the disappearing ForestClan leader. “Bring her to me! The real one, this time – not some decoy!”

The cats he had indicated rushed from the den in pursuit of the ForestClan leader and her warriors, leaving the FieldClan leader and the remaining FieldClan cats with their ForestClan captives.

Newtstar whirled on the white she-cat. “Your leader will not get away with this!” he snarled, enraged at having been deceived.

The she-cat seemed to lose all her bravado, turning away from him with her head lowered in defeat, moving slowly to one side and slumping dejectedly on the ground. Newtstar dismissed her almost at once, turning his attention to the other ForestClan cats, anxious to have them taken to the FieldClan camp.

But in the next heartbeat the she-cat was back on her paws, any sign of dejection or weariness banished, lunging at the FieldClan leader and knocking the surprised cat down. Brownmoss whirled around, claws extended, and took down two other cats as his apprentice quickly moved to pin Hawkfur. The FieldClan cats were caught completely by surprise, their attention fixed on the other ForestClan warriors, who turned in unison against them. They were taken down or driven from the den in heartbeats.

Yowling instructions to the ForestClan warriors, the she-cat – who by now Newtstar was beginning to suspect was more than a mere warrior – moved to the center of the den as three of the other warriors moved to guard the entrance.

She turned to face the remaining FieldClan cats, who were huddled together in confusion, eyes darting this way and that in a futile search for help. The ForestClan cats stood at the ready, and Brownmoss towered over the quivering FieldClan leader.

The she-cat raised her tail high as she locked eyes with Newtstar. “Let’s start again, Newtstar,” she meowed coolly.

“Forestspeaker,” he replied, voice shaking, realizing the truth too late.

She dipped her head. “This is the end of your occupation.”

He stood his ground. “Don’t be mouse-brained. There are too few of you. It won’t be long before many more of my cats come here to rescue us.

Even before he finished, there was the sound of approaching cats, then of battle. The FieldClan leader permitted himself a satisfied purr. “You see, Forestspeaker? Rescue is already at paw.”

The ForestClan leader gave him a hard look and flicked an ear. “Before they make it through, we will have negotiated a new agreement, Newtstar. And you will have consented.”

Free at last of the debris, Sunpaw charged through the tunnel and into the chamber with the pit. Abandoning any pretense of observing even the slightest caution, he slammed into Darkmaul with such fury that he almost knocked both of them off the ledge and into the hole. He struck at the DarkClan warrior with his blazing right foreclaws as if his own safety meant nothing, lost in a red haze of rage and frustration, consumed by his grief for Moonlight and his failure to prevent his friend’s fall.

The DarkClan warrior was borne backward by the LightClan apprentice’s initial rush, caught off guard by the other’s wild assault, and pressed all the way back to the far wall of the pit. There he struggled to keep the young tom at bay, trying to open enough space between them to defend himself. Blazing claws slashed at each other, and the chamber echoed with their fury. Lunging and twisting, Darkmaul regained the offensive and counterattacked, lashing out in an effort to cut Sunpaw’s legs out from under him. But Sunpaw, while not so experienced as Moonlight, was quicker. Anticipating each blow, he was able to elude his antagonist’s efforts to bring him down.

The struggle took them around the edge of the hole and into every crevice of the chamber. Twice, Sunpaw went down, losing his footing as he overreached. Once, Darkmaul battered at him with such determination that he scorched the young LightClan cat from shoulder to hindquarter, and it was only by countering with an upward slash at the other’s face and by rolling quickly away and back to his paws that Sunpaw was able to escape.

They fought their way back toward the tunnel, past Moonlight’s still form, and into a tangle of roots. Dirt and stones shook loose from above as they passed. Darkmaul began to use his command of the Force to fling the largest stones at Sunpaw, trying to throw him off balance, to disable him, to disrupt the flow of his attack. Sunpaw responded in kind, and the air was filled with deadly objects. Glowing claws flicked right and left to ward off the objects not so easily dodged.

The battle wore on, and for a time it was fought evenly. But Darkmaul was the stronger of the two and was driven by a frenzy that surpassed even the frantic determination that fueled Sunpaw. Eventually, the DarkClan warrior began to wear the young LightClan cat down. Bit by bit, he pressed him back, carrying the attack to him, looking to catch him off guard. Sunpaw could sense his body weakening, and his fear of what it would mean if he, too, were to fall, began to grow.

 _Never!_ he swore furiously.

Moonlight’s teachings came back to him. _Don’t center on your fears. Concentrate on the here and now._ He struggled to do so, to contain the emotions warring within and bearing him down. _Be mindful of the Living Force, my young apprentice. Be strong._

Sensing his opportunity slipping away from him and his strength waning, Sunpaw mounted a final assault. He rushed the DarkClan cat with a series of blows designed to force the other back on his haunches. Then he feinted an attack to his enemy’s left and slashed hard at the other’s right foreleg with such force that he shattered the red Force-Crystal there.

Yowling in fury, he lunged triumphantly at the DarkClan warrior’s throat, a killing blow.

And missed completely.

Darkmaul, anticipating the maneuver, had stepped smoothly away. Discarding the now-useless Force-Crystal, he counterattacked swiftly, striking at Sunpaw with enough force that he knocked the young tom sideways and off balance. Quickly he struck him again, harder still, and this time Sunpaw lost his footing completely and tumbled over the edge of the pit, his blue Force-Crystal wrenched from his paw. For a heartbeat, he was falling, tumbling away into the dark. He reached out in desperation and caught hold of a stone just below the edge of the pit.

There he hung, helpless, staring up at a triumphant Darkmaul.

When Sky, Bluepaw, and Robinpaw got a look at the number of FieldClan cats approaching them, they ducked back out of sight again at once. If it had been at all possible, they would have vanished into the dirt and stone at the back of the hole and willed themselves to a safer haven.

“This is not good,” Bluepaw mewed softly.

They looked frantically at each other as they tried to decide what to do. They were just two apprentices and one kit, but Sky had experience with being in tight places and a cool head when it came to dealing with trouble. _Find a way out of this!_ he admonished himself.

A quick glance at the hole they been digging revealed that it was nowhere near big enough for the ForestClan prisoners to escape through. No help there.

“What do we do now?” Bluepaw hissed.

Robinpaw rose, trying to not put pressure on her sore paw. “You two keep digging. I’ve got this one.”

Pawsteps approached, and an angry voice demanded, “Who is in there?”

Robinpaw stuck her head out. “Err, just me.”

“Just you?”

“Yep. Just me.”

There was a confused pause. “How did you get in there?” the FieldClan cat snarled suspiciously.

Sky and Bluepaw dug frantically, trying to hurry while staying as quiet as possible. Robinpaw blathered on as loudly as possible to cover. The ground beneath their paws grew more and more loose until it finally gave way.

“Yes!” Sky hissed in relief. “We’ve done it!”

The pair flung themselves out of the way as the prisoners began to surge through the hole, widening it further. Robinpaw was quick to join them as they scrambled out of the hole and pressed themselves against the wall to one side.

The FieldClan cats saw all three of them now and dropped into a ready crouch. “Stay right where you are or we’ll shred you into crowfood!”

“Not if we can help it!” The ForestClan cats charged from the hole and lunged at their former captors. There were so many that the FieldClan cats stood no chance against them.

Darkmaul padded slowly to the edge of the pit, teeth bared, yellow eyes wild and bright with joy. The battle was finished. The last LightClan cat was about to be dispatched. He batted his opponent’s blue Force-Crystal over the edge to shatter on the rocks at the bottom of the pit and lifted his tail high, savoring the moment.

Eyes fixed on the DarkClan warrior, Sunpaw went deep inside himself, connecting with the Force he had worked so hard to understand. Calming himself, stilling the trembling of his heart, and banishing his anger and fear, he called upon the last of his reserves as he braced his back paws against the pit walls. With clarity of purpose and strength of heart, he launched himself away from the side of the pit and back toward its edge. Imbued with the power of the Force, he cleared the rim easily, flipping behind the DarkClan warrior in a single smooth, powerful motion. Even as he landed, he was drawing Moonlight’s green Force-Crystal to his paw.

Darkmaul whirled to confront him, shock and rage twisting his features. But before he could act to save himself, claws blazing with green light slashed through him from throat to belly, burning him with killing fire. The stricken DarkClan warrior yowled in pain and disbelief.

Then Sunpaw turned, deactivated the Force-Crystal attached to his right foreleg, and watched his fallen enemy tumble away into the pit, dead before hitting the bottom.

Pressed against the gorge wall, the trio watched in amazement as the cats of FieldClan began to scatter, panicking at the sight of the seemingly endless flood of ForestClan cats that charged toward them. In a matter of heartbeats, they had turned from vicious warriors to a dysfunctional group of helpless kits.

Bluepaw mrrowed suddenly with laughter. “Look at them run!” he yowled.

“That’ll show them!” Sky meowed joyfully.

Robinpaw nudged her brother, who was the closer of the two. “That’s great, but maybe we should be going now?”

Halfway up the gorge, they saw the two groups of ForestClan cats meet up. Pausing as they had to catch their breath, they could hear the ensuing discussion.

“How did you get out?” Owlwing meowed in shock.

One of the freed cats, who turned out to be Bubblenose, lifted his tail. “We had a bit of help. Thought it was one of you?”

“Wasn’t us, Bubblenose,” Slipflight replied quickly. “We never could break through.”

One of the others, a young she-cat with a yellow tabby pelt, spotted the trio as they turned to keep climbing. “Look!” she meowed. “Up there! Aren’t two of those cats ForestClan? Must’ve been them!”

The trio cringed and exchanged pained looks. They had hoped they might get back to the border camp unseen, avoid having to explain to Moonlight what they were doing out here. There was no chance of that now.

Bluepaw sighed. “We are in so much trouble,” he mewed wearily as they all quietly wondered just how much trouble they had gotten themselves into this time.

The sounds of battle were growing louder in the main ForestClan camp. Brownmoss, Jaypaw, and the other ForestClan warriors spread out to either side of the den in a defensive stance, preparing a counterattack for any FieldClan cats that got through. Newtstar wanted to move out of the way, but Forestspeaker was still facing him, eyes fixed on him, and he did not care to risk provoking her into hasty action. So he crouched there with the other FieldClan cats, frozen in place.

Then abruptly, the battle noise was overpowered by sounds of panic before everything went still. All sounds and movements beyond the den ceased.

Brownmoss looked at his leader, his brown eyes uncertain. “What’s going on?” he asked worriedly.

Forestspeaker, eyes locked on Newtstar, flicked her tail. “I do believe our reinforcements have arrived. Double check.”

As he moved to do so, pawsteps were suddenly heard coming into the den. All eyes went to the entrance as Bubblenose appeared leading a number of ForestClan cats.

On the grasslands, the Tribe of Deep Waters was about to be overrun. They had been keeping the FieldClan army at bay, but they were growing weary. There was not much hope that they would remain standing for long.

Most of the Tribe cats were losing confidence, Frog among them. He stood shaking toward the outside of their protective circle alongside Tar. All around them, their Tribemates were tense with worry.

“This very bad,” Frog ventured disconsolately.

Tar glanced over, equally forlorn. “Me hope this working for the forest-cats.”

Frog sighed. And Robinpaw, Sky, Moonlight, Sunpaw, Bluepaw, and all the rest. He wondered what had happened to them. Had they been captured? Killed? He thought suddenly of Mud Where Toads Gather. Mud wasn’t going to like this one bit. Frog hoped he wasn’t going to get the blame, but he couldn’t quite rule out the possibility.

Suddenly, a cry went up from the far edge of the FieldClan army that was picked up by the rest. Some started to turn tail and flee, others to crumple to the ground in fright. The army broke up and collapsed into chaos.

Frog and Tar exchanged a confused look. The fierce, impossible force of warriors they’d been facing were now more like a random group of rogues than Clan cats. Then a yowl directed their attention toward the hill just before the ForestClan camp.

A huge army of cats was flooding over the grassland, charging the FieldClan army with single-minded purpose. The cats of ForestClan, freed from their imprisonment, had arrived. Frog, confidence restored, yowled a battle cry as Tar led the Tribe cats in a final attack. In short time, the Tribe of Deep Waters and ForestClan were routing the remnants of FieldClan. They had won.

Sunpaw did not pause to consider what it had cost him to win his victory over Darkmaul, but rushed immediately to Moonlight. Crouching at the LightClan sage’s side, he tried to seal the other’s wound to no avail.

“Mentor!” he breathed in a quiet voice.

Moonlight’s eyes opened. “Too late, my young apprentice.”

“No!” Sunpaw lashed his tail violently in denial.

“Now you must be ready, whether the Council thinks you so or not. You must be the mentor.” The strong face twisted in pain, but the blue eyes were steady. “Sunpaw. Promise me you will train the kit.”

Sunpaw dipped his head instantly, agreeing without thinking, willing to say or do anything that would ease the other’s pain, desperate to save him. “Yes, mentor.”

Moonlight’s breathing quickened. “He is the chosen one, Sunpaw. He will bring balance to the Force. Train him well.”

His eyes locked on Sunpaw’s and lost focus. His breathing stopped. The strength and the life went out of him.

“Mentor,” Sunpaw repeated softly, still crouched there, leaning closer now, pressing his nose to the lifeless body, and mewling softly. “Mentor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for hanging in here with me for this. Don't forget to comment your thoughts below, it's really helpful for me


	22. Questions and New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! Last chapter for this episode

Three sunrises later, Sunpaw stood in a small chamber at the back of the ForestClan medicine cat den where ForestClan’s Starstone lay. Moonlight’s body lay in the main chamber, awaiting burial. Already every cat from ForestClan and the Tribe of Deep Waters able to travel on their own paws were gathering to honor the LightClan sage.

Much had changed the lives of those who had fought in the struggle for ForestClan’s freedom. With the collapse of FieldClan’s army, Newtstar’s control over ForestClan’s territory had been broken. FieldClan’s fate was now in the paws of the Tribe of Gathering. Newtstar, Hawkfur, and the other surviving FieldClan cats were being led as prisoners to the Gathering Place to await judgement. According to the cats of LightClan, communicating by use of ForestClan’s Starstone, Foxfur had been selected as the leader of the Tribe of Gathering, and he had promised swift action in the dispensing of justice.

Forestspeaker had outsmarted Newtstar one final time by pretending to surrender so she could gain safe access to the FieldClan leader before he had time to flee. She had signaled to Brightbreeze to slip through a set of tunnels leading to the Speaking Chamber, where the clay-dust mixture was prepared for Forestspeaker, and then make here appearance before Newtstar. It was a calculated risk, and Brightbreeze might not have been able to get there in time. Had she not, Forestspeaker would have launched an attack for her freedom in any case. She was young, but she was not without courage or daring. She had shown intelligence and insight from the beginning of the time the LightClan cats had come to assist her. Sunpaw thought she made for a very good leader.

But it was a seven-moons-old kit and two nine-moons-old apprentices who had saved them all. Even without knowing exactly what they were doing, Sky, Robinpaw, and Bluepaw had wandered straight into the heart of the FieldClan camp, found the ForestClan prisoners, and freed them all. Doing so gave ForestClan the numbers it needed to free the territory from the invaders. The three young cats claimed not to have had any sort of plan to do any of it. But after hearing their tale and questioning each one thoroughly, Sunpaw believed that the three cats, particularly Sky, had been guided by something more than the thinking of ordinary cats. That large amount of Force-Energy gave the kit a connection to the Force that even LightClan cats as experienced as Lightstar might never achieve. Moonlight, he now believed, had been right. Sky was the chosen one.

He paced the chamber, glancing at the Starstone each time he passed it, Moonlight’s Force-Crystal, now his own, attached to his right foreleg. The LightClan Council had contacted two moons ago to discuss events with Sunpaw and to speak again with Sky. They were in discussion now, making a final assessment based on what had transpired since their last assessment of the kit. Sunpaw thought the outcome of their deliberations must be a foregone conclusion. He could not imagine now that it wouldn’t be.

He stopped pacing and stared momentarily at nothing, thinking of Moonlight, his mentor, his friend, the closest he had to a father. He had failed Moonlight in life. But he would carry on his work now, honoring him in death by fulfilling his promise to train the kit, no matter what.

 _Listen to me,_ he thought, purring ruefully. _I sound like him._

The Starstone pulsed and he was quick to open the connection. The Council appeared in a shimmering haze, their images glowing above the Starstone. Lightstar stood at the center, his face contemplative and solemn.

“Lightstar,” Sunpaw greeted, lowering his head deferentially.

The LightClan leader dipped his head. “A decision, we have made. Confer upon you the rank of warrior, the Council does. Your ceremony, perform now, we will.”

Sunpaw blinked, surprised. It was highly unusual to perform such a ritual from a distance. But he obediently crouched and lowered his head at Lightstar’s request.

The LightClan leader stood straight with his tail raised high. “We are all LightClan, chosen by the Force. The Force speaks through us. Through our actions, the Force proclaims itself and what is real. We gather here to acknowledge what the Force has proclaimed.”

He faced Sunpaw directly. “Through your deeds, you have shown your skill, courage, strength, spirit, and insight. Such deeds are worthy of acclaim and so I ask of you now, apprentice: do you swear on your honor to uphold the code of our Clan, to use the Force only for good, to turn always from the dark side, to dedicate yourself to the cause of freedom and justice, even at the cost of your life?”

Sunpaw drew a deep breath. “I do.”

“Then by the right of the Council and by the will of the Force, I name you Sunleap. Rise, warrior of LightClan.”

Sunleap rose as Violetlight and the council-cats all chanted, “Sunleap! Sunleap!”

He dipped his head gratefully to them. One by one they vanished until Sunleap was left facing Lightstar.

The older tom looked tired. “Decided about the kit as well, the Council is, Sunleap,” he advised solemnly.

“He is to be trained?”

The big ears pricked forward, and the sleepy eyes widened. “So impatient, you are. So sure of what has been decided?”

Sunleap dipped his head and kept his silence, waiting dutifully on the other. Lightstar studied him carefully. “A great warrior and great sage, was Moonlight,” he mewed softly, his voice sad. “But so much more he could have been, if not so fast he had run. More slowly, you must proceed, Sunleap.”

Sunleap stood his ground. “He understood what the rest of us did not about the kit.”

But Lightstar flicked his tail. “Be not so quick to judge. Not everything, is understanding. Not all at once, is it revealed. Moons, it takes, to become a LightClan warrior. Moons more, to become one with the Force.”

He shifted his weight wearily, eyes gazing distantly at something Sunleap couldn’t see. Outside, the younger tom sensed sunset approaching, the appointed time for his farewell to Moonlight.

Lightstar’s gaze remained distant when he addressed the younger tom. “Decided, the Council is,” he repeated. “Trained, the kit shall be.”

Sunleap felt a surge of relief and joy flood through him, and a grateful purr escaped him.

Lightstar noticed the purr. “Pleased, you are? So certain this is right?” The glowing image flickered. “Clouded, this kit’s future remains, Sunleap. A mistake to train him, it is.”

“But the Council –”

“Yes, decided.” The sleepy eyes lifted. “Disagree with that decision, I must.”

There was a long silence as the two faced each other. Sunleap did not know what to say. Clearly the Council had decided against the advice of Lightstar. That in itself was unusual. That the LightClan leader chose to make a point of it here emphasized the extent of his concerns about Sky.

Sunleap’s voice was slow and careful. “I will take this kit as my apprentice, Lightstar. I will train him in the best way I can. But I will bear in mind what you have told me here. I will go carefully. I will heed your warnings. I will keep close watch over his progress.”

Lightstar studied him for a heartbeat, then dipped his head. “Your promise, then, remember well, young warrior,” he mewed softly. “Sufficient, it is, if you do.”

Sunleap lowered his head in acknowledgement. “I will remember.”

The Starstone dimmed, the LightClan leader’s glowing image faded away, and Sunleap stepped out into a blaze of light.

The grave had been dug, the body of Moonlight laid to rest within, dirt and moss slowing covering him until the grave was filled. Those who had been chosen to honor him encircled the grave to sit vigil. Forestspeaker, coated from nose to tail in her mixture of clay-dust, tansy, and catmint, sat with Brownmoss, Bubblenose, and the other ForestClan cats who had traveled with him. Mud, Frog, and twenty Tribe warriors sat across from them. All had their heads lowered in respect for the fallen LightClan sage. Sky sat between the two groups with Sunleap, his young face intense as his whiskers trembled in grief.

Sunleap found himself remembering. For his entire life, he had trained as a LightClan cat, with Moonlight, in particular. Now Moonlight was gone, and Sunleap had passed out of an old life and into a new. Now he was a LightClan warrior, not an apprentice. Everything that had gone before was behind a corner that was barred from him forever. It was hard to accept, and at the same time, it gave him an odd sense of release.

He looked down at Sky. The kit was staring at the grave, ears lowered in sorrow.

He touched his tail gently to one shoulder. “He is one with the Force, Sky. You must let him go.”

The kit slumped to the ground. “I miss him.”

Sunleap dipped his head. “I miss him, too. And I will remember him always. But he is gone.”

Sky looked up at him. “What will happen to me now?”

The older tom shifted to look at him more directly. “I will train you, just as Moonlight would have done,” Sunleap mewed softly. “I am your new mentor, Sky. You will train with me, and you will become a LightClan warrior, I promise you.”

The kit straightened, a barely perceptible act. Sunleap dipped his head in response. _Somewhere,_ he thought, _Moonlight would be purring._

In the heart of the LightClan camp, every cat in the Clan was gathered to honor Moonlight’s memory. Those who had known him best had offered words of remembrance before the assembly. Near the chamber entrance, Violetlight sat with Lightstar, his eyes contemplative as he observed the Clan gathering.

“One life ends and a new one begins in LightClan,” he mused, almost to himself.

Lightstar hunched forward and shook his pelt. “Not so sure of this kit as of Moonlight, do I feel. Troubled, he is. Wrapped in shadows and difficult choices.”

Violetlight dipped his head. He knew of Lightstar’s feelings on the matter, but the Council had made its decision, and in LightClan, decisions were not the leader’s alone to make. “Sunleap will do a good job with him,” he mewed, shifting the subject. “Moonlight was right. He is ready.”

They knew of what the young tom had done to save himself from the DarkClan warrior in the underground chamber after Moonlight had been struck down. It took an act of extraordinary courage and strength of will. Only a LightClan warrior fully in tune with the Force could have saved himself against such an adversary. Sunleap had proved himself beyond every cat’s expectations.

“Ready this time, he was,” Lightstar acknowledged grudgingly. “Ready to train the kit, he may not be.”

“Defeating a DarkClan warrior in battle is a strong test of his readiness for anything,” the LightClan deputy pressed. His eyes stayed on the assembly. “There is no doubt. The one who tested him was a DarkClan cat.”

Lightstar’s green eyes blinked. “Always two there are. No more, no less. A leader and an apprentice.”

Violetlight dipped his head. “Then which was slain, do you think – the leader or the apprentice?”

They looked at each other now, but neither could provide an answer to the question.

That night, Darkshadow stood alone on a ruined Twoleg-den that overlooked the Gathering Place, a shadowy figure against the starlight, eyes narrowed and angry as he contemplated the loss of his apprentice. Moons of training had gone into the preparation of Darkmaul as a worthy DarkClan cat. He had been more than the equal of the LightClan cats he had faced and should have been able to defeat them easily. It was bad luck and chance that had led to his death, a combination that even the power of the dark side could not always overcome.

Not in the short run, at least.

His ears flattened. It would be necessary to replace Darkmaul. He would need to train another apprentice. Such a one would not be easy to find.

Darkshadow walked to the edge of the darkness that concealed him and sat down. One thing was certain. Those responsible for killing Darkmaul would be held accountable. Those who had opposed him would not be forgotten. All would be made to pay.

His eyes glittered. Still, he had gotten what he wanted most from this business. Even the loss of Darkmaul was worth that. He would bide his time. He would wait for his chance. He would lay the base for what was needed.

A purr filled his throat. Reckoning would come about soon enough.

There was a huge gathering the following sunrise to formally recognize the newfound alliance of ForestClan and the Tribe of Deep Waters, to celebrate their hard-won victory over the FieldClan invaders, and to honor those who had fought to secure their freedom. Cats of both groups approached the grassy field where the battle had been fought. Mud led the Tribe cats from the swamp with Frog and Tar flanking him.

Forestspeaker waited on a large, flat stone halfway between the main ForestClan camp and the swamp with nearly all of ForestClan surrounding her perch. Brownmoss stood just below her perch alongside his now-former apprentice, who had been recognized as a warrior for his part in the conflict and given the name Jayeye.

Sky, now Skypaw of LightClan, stood beside Sunleap to one side of the stone. He was feeling out of place and embarrassed. He thought the whole gathering idea wonderful, and he appreciated being honored with the others, but his mind was elsewhere.

It was with Moonlight, gone back into the Force and hunting in StarClan.

It was with Forestspeaker, who had barely interacted with him since he had been formally named an apprentice of LightClan.

It was with his home, to which he might never return.

It was with his mother and brother, whom he wished could see him now.

The ceremony had been held in the quiet chamber at the back of Bubblenose’s den, with the glowing images of LightClan’s Council performing it through their use of ForestClan’s Starstone with only Sunleap, his new mentor, as witness. He was now a true apprentice of LightClan. He had achieved all that he had hoped in coming with Moonlight to the Gathering Place and beyond. He should have been happy and satisfied, and he was. But his happiness and satisfaction were clouded by the sadness he could not banish at losing Moonlight, his mother, and his brother. They were lost to him in different ways, to be sure, but they were gone out of his life. Moonlight had provided the stability he required to leave his family behind. With the LightClan sage’s death, Skypaw was left adrift. There was no one who could give him the grounding that Moonlight had provided – not Sunleap, not even Forestspeaker. In the future, perhaps. In the future, each of them would play a part in his life that would change him forever. He could sense that. But for now, when it mattered most, he felt all alone.

So he held his head high, but he was sick in spirit and lost in his heart.

Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Sunleap laid his tail reassuringly on his shoulder. “It’s the beginning of a new life for you, Skypaw,” he ventured.

The younger tom dipped his head back dutifully, but didn’t respond.

Sunleap looked off at the growing crowd in front of them. “Moonlight always disdained celebrations. But he understood the need for them, as well. I wonder what he would have made of this one.”

Skypaw flicked an ear.

The LightClan warrior purred. “He would have been proud to see you a part of it.”

His new apprentice looked at him. “Do you think so?”

“I do. Your mother and brother would be proud of you as well.”

Skypaw’s ears lowered, and he looked away. “I wish they were here. I miss them.”

The older tom’s voice grew firmer. “You will see them again. But when you do, you will be a warrior of LightClan.”

The Tribe cats reached the ForestClan cats and the two groups began to mingle happily. Mud, accompanied by Frog, Tar, and the Tribe’s elders, continued on until they reached the stone where Forestspeaker waited. She greeted the Tribe leader warmly as he climbed onto the stone to join her. Turning to face the assembled cats, they spoke together to honor both those who had fallen in the battle and those whose contributions were most worthy of notice. Robinpaw and Bluepaw, standing directly next to Skypaw, lifted their tails proudly as all three of their names were acknowledged by Forestspeaker. 

Bluepaw purred at his friend, and Skypaw nudged the ForestClan apprentice gently.

Mud stepped forward and formally announced a new and lasting peace between the Tribe of Deep Waters and ForestClan. “This grand gathering!” an exuberant Frog yowled over the loud and joyful noise of the crowd. “Tribe cats and forest-cats, they be friends forever, hey?”

His enthusiasm made Skypaw purr loudly in spite of himself. The Tribe cat was bouncing up and down, long whiskers flapping, eyes bright with happiness. _Frog would never let the bad things in life get him down,_ the LightClan apprentice thought. He considered that maybe there was a lesson to be learned in that.

“We big heroes now!” Frog meowed, not noticing when he tripped a bit on his own paws.

Skypaw mrrowed with laughter along with Robinpaw and Bluepaw. He guessed maybe they were.

On the grassy plain before them, from the crowd of cats mingling together in peace and joy, the energy that had carried them all to this place and time continued on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we are! Thank you for keeping up with me. Next episode will begin relatively soon, I have to triple-check that the allegiances list for it is complete before I post it. See you all there!


End file.
